Mistress Heat
by MistressCastle
Summary: After a difficult case, Kate decides she's tired of waiting and wants to experience a sample of the heat between her & Castle. She never dreamed things would get so out of control.
1. Chapter 1

**This is a little fanfic that begged for me to write it. I also wanted to write an M-rated story for once. It is set in a Castleland far, far away where there are no secrets in a much happier Season 4. I usually write under another pen name, but my young daughter, who is a Castle fan, likes to read what I write, and this story is definitely M-rated. **

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned the characters, but unfortunately I don't.**

It had been a long, exhausting case, but it was finally over. Castle was in rare form all day. Kate was accustomed to his playful comebacks and remarks and his annoying habit of staring at her as she completed paperwork or stood at the murder board. However, today he was different. When she caught him staring at her, he looked as if he was slowly undressing her with his brooding eyes. His comments had more of a sexual innuendo, and he must have suggestively brushed up against her at least three times.

After they finally got a confession, Gates sent everybody home for the weekend. Castle mumbled that he had to work on his book and made a quick exit. Kate also headed home, picking up some of her favorite Chinese takeout on the way. After she finished eating, she noticed just how quiet her apartment was and found herself completely bored. Her thoughts wandered back to Castle as she finished her glass of wine. She let him get away with having the upper hand on her today because she was preoccupied with the case. Now that the case was closed, payback was in order. The thought of that brought a smirk to her face.

This unspoken game of sexual tension had gone on between them forever, and she was tired of dancing around the issue. Plain and simple, she wanted him as much as she knew he wanted her. She wanted to run her fingers through his dark brown hair, envelop herself in his scent, explore his firm lips and mouth with her tongue, rip open his shirt, feel his massive chest against her own bareness, unzip his pants to reveal his hardness, and ride wave after wave of pleasure with him as they each claimed the other as their own. She became heated as she envisioned how sweet it would be to cause him to scream her name as he came undone for her. She desperately needed to cross the line and sample a taste of the forbidden fruit on the other side.

As she was contemplating how to get away with sampling a little Castle passion, an idea hit her. She wasn't the type to just go up to Castle and ravage him. Plus, there would be no turning back if she did that. She only wanted a taste, not a four course meal, _not yet_. She also wanted to drive him as crazy as he made her today. So, she would enact her punishment over the phone. If he cornered her the next day, she would say she didn't remember anything and must have hit the wine too hard the night before. She couldn't stop herself. So, she picked up her phone...

**On to Chapter 2! Please review! It gives me inspiration! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I still don't own any of the characters.**

_She couldn't stop herself. So, she picked up her phone..._

_K:what r u doing?_

She received a reply 20 seconds later_._

_R: Writing Nikki._

_K: r u alone?_

_R: Yes. Alexis at Paige's. Mother gone for weekend. _

_K: what r u wearing?_

_R: Huh?_

_K: i need to know what u r wearing_

_R: Ok? Socks, jeans, blue button-down shirt & a smile. ;)_

_K: boxers?_

_R: Yes! Why do you ask?_

_K: all good things come to he who waits, writerboy_

_R: Sexy quote. Are you okay?_

Kate was definitely enjoying this. She had caught him by surprise, and she liked being in control.

_K: take off ur socks_

_R: Is there some reason you want me barefoot?_

_K: i told u to take off ur socks. did u?_

_R: Ok. Yes. Now what, Detective?_

_K: starting with the top bottom of ur shirt, slowly unbutton it as if u r doing a striptease for me_

_R: Katherine Beckett! Have you been drinking?_

_K: it's mistress heat to u, ricky. enough questions. unbutton the shirt_

_R: Are you serious? Mistress Heat? Really?-lol_

_K: u have been a bad boy, ricky. u must be punished. unbutton the shirt_

A full minute went by. Nervously, Kate sent another text.

_K: did u unbutton the shirt?_

_R: Yes._

_K: take the shirt off_

_R: Done. So, now I'm sitting at my desk barefoot & shirtless. You happy, Mistress Heat?_

_K: unbutton ur jeans_

_R: Kate, have you been drinking? Are you sure you're ok?_

_K: it's mistress heat to u, ricky. did i give u permission to ask questions?_

_R: No. :(_

_K: no, what?_

_R: No, Mistress Heat.-lol_

_K: much better, ricky. however, laugh again, & i'll increase ur punishment. unbutton ur jeans_

_R: As you say, Mistress Heat. Done._

_K: unzip ur jeans slowly. imagine me unzipping them with my teeth_

_R: God, Kate...I mean Mistress Heat. I'm not sure you want to do this._

_K: unzipped?_

_R: Yes._

_K: take them off_

_R: I'm losing control here, Mistress Heat. Don't make me do this._

_K: TAKE THEM OFF_

_R: My safe word is Apples._

_K: r they off?_

_R: Yes._

_K: call me_

**I definitely plan to update this again tomorrow and on Tuesday as well. Believe me, the M is still coming. Like Kate said, "**_**all good things come to he who waits**_**" Please review! Inspire me! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Still don't own any of the characters. **

_R: I'm losing control here, Mistress Heat. Don't make me do this._

_K: TAKE THEM OFF_

_R: My safe word is Apples._

_K: r they off?_

_R: Yes._

_K: call me_

During the course of the texted conversation, Kate stripped down to her panties and bra. It just didn't feel right to make Castle strip down by himself. She nervously awaited his call. There was no turning back now, even if she wanted to, which she didn't. Her stomach was doing flips as her phone rang.

K: (Nervously) Hello, Ricky.

R: (Hesitating) Uh, hello. C'mon Kate...I mean Mistress Heat. I need to know what's going on. I mean, I'm sitting here in my boxers. At the very least, you owe me an explanation.

K: It's simple. You've been a bad boy. You must be punished.

R: But I don't even know what I did!

K: Sexual comments, undressing me with your eyes, brushing up against me at the precinct. Sound familiar? Now, you must pay.

R: But I didn't mean to... God, I don't know what you want me to do.

K: What you're going to do is quite simple. You're going to come for me, Ricky. You're going to come undone for me and scream my name. Understand, Ricky? Isn't this what you wanted?

R: Yes...no...I mean, I pictured...This isn't exactly...

K: Okay, Rick. I'll tell you what. I will give you 30 seconds to make a choice. You can hang up, and we'll pretend like this never happened, except I can't promise you that I won't get my revenge. (Kate chuckles evilly.) And right now, I'm thinking that handcuffing you naked in the men's room at the precinct is even too lenient. Or, you can cut to the chase, quit stalling, and submit to your punishment. That is, if you're not too afraid to take it like a man. The thing is, if you think about it, you know you want this. 30 seconds. Starting now.

Rick remained silent, and Kate felt her heart quicken. Although it seemed like forever, 30 seconds finally went by...

**Will he or won't he? I promise next chapter is hot, but not as hot as it's gonna get with these two! ;) **_**Please**_** review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: It's getting depressing to admit I don't own the characters over and over again.**

_Rick remained silent, and Kate felt her heart quicken. Although it seemed like forever, 30 seconds finally went by..._

R: I'm still here.

K: I know.

R: Can I ask one question...Mistress Heat?

K: I will allow one.

R: You know what I'm wearing. What are you wearing?

K: I'm wearing a pink, white-laced, push-up bra with lacy purple bikini panties. Does that answer your question?

R: _Extraordinary_. Do you have any idea what you do to me? _You are wicked_.

K: (Smirking) Imagine I'm there with you. I walk over to you and handcuff your hands behind your chair. I seductively straddle you. I run my hands through your hair as I push your face against my breasts, ever so gently. You notice I smell like cherries, and the swell of my breasts are soft against your lips. Do you _want _to kiss them, Rick?

R: Yes. (She notices his voice is somewhat shaky.)

K: Yes, what?

R: Yes, Mistress Heat.

K: I undo the front clasp of my bra, and it falls away to the floor. My breasts are almost touching your face, and you notice that my nipples are very erect and hard. I allow you to brush your lips softly against them. You slowly make your way to one of my nipples and gently nip at it with your teeth. I moan and grind into you in pleasure. (Kate moans.) Then, you flick it with your tongue, take it into your mouth, and suckle it. _God, Rick, it feels so good_. (She hears Rick's breathing becoming heavier.) You notice that my other nipple is neglected, so you also playfully nip at it, lick slow circles around it, and then tenderly suck on it as well. I rock back and forth on the hardness inside your boxers. _Mmm...feels sooo good_.

R: _Oh God, Kate_...I mean, Mistress Heat.

K: I've changed my mind,_ Rick_. Instead of Mistress Heat, I've decided I want you to call me _Kate_.

R: You're so hot, _Kate_.

K: As I move to the floor between your legs, I gently bite, and then softly plant erotic kisses, using my tongue, all the way down your firm chest to the elastic of your boxers. I bite the elastic playfully with my teeth, and then I desperately grab your hardness with my hand. I can feel it throbbing beneath the silk of your boxers. I firmly massage up and down its shaft with my hand, but the silk of your boxers doesn't grant me the freedom I desire. (Rick's breathing is very heavy now.) So, I _slowly_ tug them down to your knees.

R: _Mmm Kate_..._You are an evil little vixen_.

K: You have no idea. I eagerly put my warm, wet mouth over your bare shaft. I heatedly run my tongue up and down its length. When I get to its tip, I gently suck it with my warm, soft lips. I continue to lick and suck while I knead your balls firmly with my other hand. _You taste and feel sooo good, Rick_. (She hears Rick moan while he breathes huskily.) I feel my center becoming damp with need and pulsating with want. _I need you in me_._ Do you want to come inside of me, Rick_?

R:_ Ohhh God yes...please_.

K: I stand back up and slowly slide my panties off. I straddle you again and instantly feel your hot, throbbing tip at my entrance. _It feels so hot, Rick. How do I feel_?

R: _You feel so amazing, and hot, and sexy. Oh God, Kate_...

K: I look deep into your eyes, grab your face in both my hands, and gently brush my lips across yours. Then, I... (Rick interrupts her.)

R: I move my head forward, catch your lips with mine, and deepen the kiss._ You taste so good, Kate_.

K: I softly run my tongue along your lower lip.

R: And I grant it access into my mouth so you can taste me as well.

K: _Mmm Rick...You feel and taste sooo fantastic_.

R: Our tongues do a sensual dance together, each claiming dominance in the other's mouth.

K: Breathless, we finally pull apart and gasp for air.

R: I want you now, Kate. (Rick's voice comes out in a low growl, and she can hear him breathing huskily.)

K: I slowly grind my wet, pulsating center against your firm, hot tip. (Rick interrupts again.)

R: I push into you, thrusting deeply into your core. _God, you are so tight_.

K: (Kate softly moans.) I can feel you throbbing inside of me. I grind hard against you to adjust to your size.

R: I can't hold back, and I begin to forcefully thrust in and out. _You are so warm and wet and tight_.

K: I match your strokes, giving as good as I get..._It feels sooo hot_. (Kate continues to moan.)

R: And we finally find our rhythm. I plunge into you fast and hard with deep upward thrusts, in and out._ You're mine now, Kate_. _Say you want me, Kate_. (Rick's breath hitches, and Kate hears a low moan, which sends her over the edge.)

K: _Yes_..._I want you_. I angle myself and take you deeper...

R: I force myself into you...fully...completely...hitting _all_ your sensitive spots...

K: Oh God, Rick...I'm starting to come. (Kate moans.) _Come with me, Rick_. I want to feel you come inside of me..._please_..._Oh God_...

R: Oh God, Kate..._Kate_..._I'm coming_...I love you so much, Kate... (Rick's voice is shaky, breathless, and uncontrolled.)

After a few minutes of heavy panting on both sides (Yes, Kate participated just as much as Rick did.), everything got very quiet.

K: Did you just say you love me?

R: Yes, I guess I did...I do...

**So, there it is, my first attempt at writing Castle phone sex. Hope you liked it. You just never know what to expect from these two. **_**Please**_** review! **


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own the characters.**

_After a few minutes of heavy panting on both sides (Yes, Kate participated just as much as Rick did.), everything got very quiet._

_K: Did you just say you love me?_

_R: Yes, I guess I did...I do..._

Kate abruptly hung up the phone. She never expected this. What was she going to do? He told her he loved her. They couldn't go back, could they? All she wanted was to experience a taste of the passion between them. She never planned to participate or go so far._ Oh my God, she had phone sex with Castle_. She would tell him she had too much wine and couldn't remember anything. That would be a shame though, because it was _sooo_ good. She found herself thinking about how it would really feel to have him inside of her... She quickly put those thoughts out of her mind.

After a _cool_ shower and slipping on a t-shirt and a pair of boyshorts, she was ready to go to bed. That's when she heard loud knocking at her door.

"Kate, open up! Don't make me stand out here all night." Rick growled.

Kate slowly opened the door, and Rick pushed the rest of the way through. He roughly grabbed Kate and forced her up against the wall, pressing his body into hers. She could feel his growing hardness through her boyshorts. _God, Castle was endowed_. He forcefully claimed her lips, bruising them as his tongue thoroughly explored her mouth. She fought him at first, but then a burning heat slowly enveloped her, and she melted into his body and his kiss. Her center throbbed, wet with longing. She moaned and wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing him deeper into her mouth. Finally, he abruptly pulled away.

"You hung up on me. You had phone sex with me, I told you I loved you, and you hung up on me! Can you imagine my dissatisfaction with this? I was writing and minding my own business when you texted me and informed me that_ I _needed to be punished. I believe you called yourself Mistress Heat. Sexiest thing I've ever heard. After getting me to strip out of my clothes, you do things to me that I...I...God, Kate, nobody has ever turned me on like that before. You were extraordinary and _so_ hot. And, I want you to know that I have _never_ had phone sex in my life! So, what do you do? You hang up on me! If there's anybody here that needs to be punished, it's _you_, and _I_ intend to do just that. By the end of this night, you're going to be mine in every sense of the word. The thing is, if you think about it, you know you want this. You're going to beg me to make love to you. _You're going to come for me, Kate. You're going to come undone for me and scream my name. Understand?"_

Kate's breath caught in her throat, and she swallowed hard as she felt her knees go weak...

**Anybody want another chapter? Please review and tell me. Tomorrow's chapter should be longer. If I don't think enough people are interested, then I may not be inspired to continue this naughty little Castle story. ;) So, **_**please**_** review!**

**By the way, this story takes place immediately after "**_**Once Upon A Crime**_**," so there are secrets to be eventually dealt with. ;)**

**By the way, I'm lending a hand in writing another story, "A Rose For Her Caskett." Romance/drama with **_**long**_** chapters. If you get a chance and read it, I hope you like it. **

**THANKS FOR ALL THE REVIEWS! YOU GUYS ARE SIMPLY WONDERFUL!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own the characters.**

_"You hung up on me. You had phone sex with me, I told you I loved you, and you hung up on me! Can you imagine my dissatisfaction with this? I was writing and minding my own business when you texted me and informed me that I needed to be punished. I believe you called yourself Mistress Heat. Sexiest thing I've ever heard. After getting me to strip out of my clothes, you do things to me that I...I...God, Kate, nobody has ever turned me on like that before. You were extraordinary and so hot. And, I want you to know that I have never had phone sex in my life! So, what do you do? You hang up on me! If there's anybody here that needs to be punished, it's you, and I intend to do just that. By the end of this night, you're going to be mine in every sense of the word. The thing is, if you think about it, you know you want this. You're going to beg me to make love to you. You're going to come for me, Kate. You're going to come undone for me and scream my name. Understand?"_

_Kate's breath caught in her throat, and she swallowed hard as she felt her knees go weak..._

Just as Kate started to slide down the wall, Rick caught her shoulders with his firm, strong hands and pulled her back up so her face was only a whisper away from his own. Their eyes locked, and Kate was frightened to see that Rick's usually blue eyes were dark with lust and need. He savagely took her mouth again, wildly kissing her, just like the little vixen deserved. He smirked when he noticed she wasn't fighting him, although she was trembling and breathing rather heavily. He felt her shiver as he slid his hands slowly down her sides and to her hips. He cupped her bottom and lifted her up against him and into him. His desire was undeniably evident as she melted deeper and deeper into him.

Then, something became different between them. An intense, animalistic longing awoke and grew in power. He kissed her more deeply and viciously, his need mercilessly driving through her. She responded back in kind. The power flourished and ripened between them until they were both aching with it.

Rick suddenly stopped kissing her and pulled away, and they both gasped for breath. His breath was ragged as his dark eyes travelled up and down her body, his gaze manifesting the hunger that his body was throbbing with. He licked his lips as he fiercely ripped her t-shirt off and threw it on the floor. She gasped and tried to cover herself, but in one quick move, he pinned both of her wrists over her head with his hand. "Oh no you don't." he smirked. Her head spun as he lowered his head and caught one of her nipples in his mouth. He flicked it with his teeth and then wildly licked it with his tongue. He heard Kate whimper underneath his advances. After he finished with one nipple, he turned his attention to the other. He eagerly took it into his mouth and sucked it until she writhed in agony and need. Then, his mouth abruptly abandoned her breast and sought out the heat of her neck. She could feel his hot breath next to her ear as he whispered, "It's almost time, Kate. Tell me you want me to make love to you."

Kate moaned as he placed hot kisses on her neck, using his tongue as well as his lips. He took his free hand and slowly slid his fingers under the lacy elastic of her boyshorts and into her heated center. Her breath caught in her throat, and he noticed she was swollen and wet with want. "_Say it_, Kate," he growled. He pulled his fingers out of her slippery folds, and she begged in agony, "_Please, Rick_…"

"Say it _now_, Kate…" he hissed.

Very quietly he heard her whisper, "_Please_ make love to me, Rick."

He bent down and claimed her mouth, parting her lips forcibly with his tongue. She responded by grinding her hips into him and wrapping her legs around his middle. She felt his enormous throbbing hardness against her dampness and grinded even harder into him. She heard a guttural moan escape from his throat. "Not here. Not like this," he muttered.

He slid his arm under her knees and scooped her up into his arms. He took her into her bedroom and gently laid her on the bed in front of him. She was beautiful. Her brunette, long curls framed her face, and her breasts glistened in the moonlight. The lace on her lavender boyshorts protectively hugged her curves. As her sultry green eyes watched him, he unbuttoned his shirt and threw it onto the floor. He also unzipped his jeans and slipped them off, along with his shoes and socks. After he finished, he saw her tremble, her eyes wide with anticipation and fear of what was to come next.

"You're _mine_ now, Kate," he growled huskily.

While supporting himself with both arms on either side of her, he bent down and she could feel his hot, ragged breath on her stomach. He kissed it, gently using his lips and his tongue, while slowly forging a trail from her navel to the lace of her boyshorts. Without removing them, his teeth bit into the fabric, and she could feel his warm breath against her clit. She writhed with want and arched her hips up to his mouth. He responded by sliding two of his fingers under her lace and slowly into her burning center. "_Oh sweet Jesus_…" she hissed.

Rick momentarily stopped sliding his fingers in and out of her to smirk and grumble, "The name's Rick, not Jesus."

To punish her for this, he moved more of the lace aside, and his fingers parted and explored her. She opened herself to him, and he circled her clit with his tongue before flicking it erotically with his teeth. A guttural moan involuntarily escaped from her lips and she arched into his mouth. Waves of pleasure swelled and consumed her with need. As he continued, his fingers intruded deeply into her throbbing center again, stroking back and forth rhythmically. When he felt her tighten and start to contract under his fingers, he abruptly stopped and moved up her body capture her frustrated moan with his mouth.

"I can't allow you to come. I haven't heard you _scream_ my name yet, _Mistress Heat_," Rick smiled wickedly.

"_Oh my God_…" Kate moaned.

"No, my name's not God either, even though I may be one," he smirked. "By the way, in case I forget to tell you later, you are the sexiest, most beautiful woman I have ever made love to. Oh, and I rather enjoyed punishing you as well."

Before he knew it, Kate was on top of him, hot and heavy. She roughly kissed his lips and then moved on to explore his neck and chest with her tongue as well. Her hot breath and warm lips sent shivers up his spine. As she made her way down to his boxers, he stopped her. "Oh no, _Mistress Heat_. You've already punished me enough. _Your turn_."

It was time. He wanted to possess her and brand her as his own. A primal instinct overtook him, and he rolled her over, pinning her under him. He possessively brought his lips to the pulse point on her neck and kissed and then bit and sucked her there. When he was done, he had deftly marked her as his own.

Even though she was pinned, she was a willing captive. He drew back from her neck and lips because he wanted her to realize and be aware of what was happening between them. He removed his boxers and then slowly slid down her boyshorts. He smiled evilly, "I'll be keeping these."

He bent down as if to kiss her, but didn't. He looked deep in her eyes and held her gaze captive. She could feel his warm, ragged breath against her lips as he said, "Tell me you want this as much as I do."

"_I want it more_," she whispered as she hungrily claimed his mouth and ran her fingers through his hair. He was caught up in her wild desire as he growled, "I _seriously_ don't think so."

She could feel his enormous, throbbing erection pressing against her thigh, and she opened her legs and grinded up against him until its head was pulsating against her clit. He responded by thrusting downward towards her wet, burning entrance. She tilted her hips up to urge him to take her. His tip finally pushed against her velvety center, and he slowly slid into her, stretching and filling her up completely. She moaned, "_Oh God…I mean, Rick_…" She was so slippery and tight. He groaned in pleasure as he slowly pulled back out to her entrance and thrust deeply back into her, again and again and again. Just as he felt her start to tighten more and contract again, he pulled out completely, which caused her to scream his name in frustration.

"You can't come for me _yet_, Kate. We need to do this together. Okay?"

He gently bent down and brushed his lips against hers as he noticed the wetness surrounding her eyes. "Okay," she softly agreed.

He softly kissed her again and then pushed deeply back into her as he heard her gasp. Her reality quickly became the heat of him deeply pushing into her center and slowly pulling out. She quickly found his rhythm and matched him stroke for stroke. At the same time, his lips claimed hers, and his tongue reflected the fire their bodies were generating. She was hot and tight, and she could feel him throbbing and swelling within her walls. She arched her back and struggled to breath. She urged him to go deeper, faster, harder. He gave her what she wanted, and she took it and continued to match him. As the heat between them grew and intensified, she raked her sharp nails down his back. "_Please, Rick…More_…" she screamed.

He cupped his hands over her ass cheeks and pulled her closer to him. As he kneaded her ass, he thrust deeper and harder into her, again and again. "_Come for me, Kate. Come with me_."

When she heard his words, her insides exploded, contracting, clenching, and pulsating around him. He shattered in a climax so intense that he thought he was going to lose his mind. As his seed scorched though her insides, he lost himself completely in her. Her heat claimed his very soul. As shared feelings of pleasure coursed and waned through them, their heat was gradually replaced with an all-enveloping tender warmth.

He held her to him for over a half hour before either one of them spoke.

Rick tenderly ran his fingers through her hair as he whispered, "Kate, I don't want you to run away from this because it wasn't a mistake. You wanted this just as much as I did. This doesn't have to change anything. I'm still Rick, and you're still Kate. We're still Castle and Beckett. We don't have to tell anybody, and if this never happens again, I'll be disappointed, but I'll survive. No matter what, we'll still be partners and friends. _Always_. I'm going to hold you until you fall asleep. Then, I'm going to quietly slip out and go home because I don't want to overwhelm you or ruin this with a lot of awkwardness between us in the morning. Someday, I will wake up with you in my arms, but not today. Oh, and by the way, even though you may not be ready to hear this, you need to know that I do love you, Kate. I have to make sure you know this because I want you to know how much this…you…mean to me. You are not a one-night stand." He smiled and added, "_Best sex ever, Mistress Heat_."

He barely heard her whisper, "I need you too, Rick," before she snuggled closer into him and drifted off to sleep.

**So, I hope you all liked it. I've been thinking a lot about this story and have some definite ideas about where I want it to go. If you want me to continue, please review and tell me, so I know if there is enough interest. THANKS SOOO MUCH FOR ALL THE WONDERFUL REVIEWS AND ENCOURAGEMENT SO FAR! You guys definitely inspire me! It may be a few days before I post another chapter because I'm going to be really busy. I think Kate should take turn the tables and be the aggressor next. What do you think?**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I still don't own the characters, only in my fantasies.**

_He barely heard her whisper, "I need you too, Rick," before she snuggled closer into him and drifted off to sleep_.

Samuel Lynchberg killed Barbra Landau. Case closed. As Ryan was searching on the floor for his wedding ring, which shot across the room from Esposito's finger, Kate picked up some files from her desk and headed down the hallway. "You coming, Castle?" she pointedly asked. She smiled wickedly because when she said coming she had an altogether different idea in mind other than him following her.

The night after they slept together, he wasn't there when she woke up. Although she missed his warmth and his arms around her, she was somewhat relieved because she needed time to think and make sense out of what had happened. Even though this was unexpected, she didn't want to run from it. She never thought Castle would show up at her door after she hung up the phone. In her wildest dreams, she never imagined he could be such an aggressive lover, taking total control of her,_ Detective Kate Beckett_, and dominating her so completely. Initially, she only wanted a taste of Castle, but now that she had experienced the main course, she was definitely not complaining. He was like a drug she was addicted to and couldn't get enough of. She craved him, wanted him, needed him, and, yes, she loved him. She only wished she was brave enough to tell him instead of just whispering that she needed him. For being such a badass detective, it was hard to believe she could be so chicken sometimes. She was worried things would be awkward between them at the precinct, but Castle acted just as he always did, although he seemed to smile more and sneak frequent glances at her when he thought she wasn't looking.

Since that night, they had been too busy to have any more encounters of the sexual kind, and Kate felt as if she was going through withdrawal. She felt shaky with need as his scent enveloped her whenever he stood near her. She fantasized about his strong arms holding her against his bare, muscular chest. She craved his lips, his touch, his heat. So, she decided to take the bull by the horns.. She was going to take him right here, right now.

"Where are you going?" Rick asked.

"I need to cross reference some information in these files. I could_ really _use your help," Kate smiled seductively back at him, while biting her lower lip.

Rick jumped up and was immediately at her heels. However, instead of going to the filing room, Kate discreetly went into an obsolete storage closet, yanked Rick in behind her, and clicked the lock on the door.

"_Katherine Beckett! What are you_..."

"Shut up, Castle. And the name is _Mistress Heat_."

"Oh God..."

**Sorry about this being such a short chapter. I promise to finish and post the rest of this by tomorrow. Please review! It helps to push me to update sooner.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters.**

_"Shut up, Castle. And the name is Mistress Heat."_

_"Oh God..."_

"That's not my name, even though I may be one," she smirked.

Rick started to chuckle, but Kate grabbed him by his shirt and forced him up against the wall. She greedily claimed his lips with her own and tasted his mouth with her tongue. He tasted like coffee, Skittles, and Castle. She ran her hands through his hair and drew his head closer to her own so she could have deeper access to his mouth. At the same time, she molded her body into his and felt his arousal press heatedly against her thigh. "I _want_ you," she purred as she forcefully tugged his shirt apart, popping several buttons.

"That was_ soo _hot," he growled.

"_You have no idea_," she whispered hotly in his ear. She felt him shudder. As if that was her cue, she started to nip and kiss his neck with her lips, teeth, and tongue. When she got to his pulse point, he felt her hungrily sucking and soothing it, giving him a hickey in the same place where he gave her one the last time. When she was satisfied with her work, she moved on to his chest. She circled his nipples with her tongue and playfully nipped at them. She carefully placed a hot trail of kisses from his nipple line to his jeans. He stopped her when she popped the button to his jeans and started to slowly pull his zipper down. He pulled her back up into his arms, quickly turned around, and shoved her up against the wall in his place.

He nuzzled his face into her neck, taking in her cherry scent. His tongue provocatively licked her neck down to the first button on her blouse. With his teeth, he skillfully undid the button. Breathing hotly against her chest and licking a trail with his tongue, he stopped at her second button and did the same. He continued this until he finished with her last button. He let his tongue circle her navel and deftly unbuttoned the top button of her pants with his teeth as well. He heard her moan as he ran his tongue just inside of where her jeans were now open. He stopped, pulled himself back up, and slid her shirt off her shoulders and onto the floor. He circled her hardened nipples with his thumbs through the black lace of her bra. He brought his thumbs to the middle of her chest, applied pressure, and the clasp popped open. He pushed the bra off her shoulders and onto the floor before taking her breast into his mouth. As she dug her nails into his back and moaned, he licked, sucked, and kissed each breast, paying special atention to stop and softly kiss the scar between them. He looked up, and their eyes locked for a few seconds, as they realized what they could have lost. She ran her fingers through his hair, and his hands reached down to unzip her pants. She stopped him and forcefully pushed him into the wall behind him.

"You're _mine_ now, Rick," she purred.

She slowly unzipped his jeans and slid his jeans and boxers down his legs. She moaned when she saw how enormous his erection was. She brought her mouth down onto him, and he moaned in pleasure and shook with need. She ran her tongue up and down his shaft, moaning as she pulled him in and out of her mouth. She stopped to circle his tip with her tongue and then took him fully and deeply into her mouth again.

"_Shit, Kate...not like this...not in your mouth_...," he growled under his ragged breath.

For a second time, he stopped her. As he finished kicking off his jeans and boxers, he pulled her back up into his arms and forced her back up against the wall again. He quickly unzipped her pants and slid his hand under her black lacy underwear and into her velvety folds. He used his other hand to slide her pants onto the floor. He groaned hungrily as he realized how wet and slippery she was for him.

"We're going to finish this, Kate..._Now_."

He thrust two fingers into her hot, slippery center, as he ripped her underwear completely off with his free hand. She heatedly wrapped both of her legs around his waist, which caused his tip to slide against her burning center. He slid his fingers out and used them to position himself at her entrance. He removed his hand and thrust deeply inside of her, filling her completely.

She started to scream in pleasure, but he quickly covered her mouth with his hand, and she bit into it. He banged her hard and fast, thrusting in and out, and back and forth against her most sensitive spots. His shaft created delicious friction, and her walls tightened and took him eagerly into her depths.

"Rick..._please_...harder...deeper...faster..._please_"

He obeyed, grabbed her ass, and pulled her even closed to him. He pumped even deeper into her and increased their rhythm.

"_Come with me, Kate_," he pleaded.

She moaned and went over the edge, taking him with her. As his erection pulsated and shot his hot seed into her depths, her walls contacted, throbbed, and tightened around him, taking him even deeper inside. Finally, they relaxed and tried to catch their breaths.

"Rick, that was _so_ good..._you're soo good_..." Kate whispered as she tried to catch her breath.

"You're not bad yourself, you know," he smiled as he tried to catch his breath as well. "Oh, and in case I forgot to say it, I love you."

"I know you do," she smirked as she playfully threw her ripped underwear at him.

After a few minutes, they discreetly exited the storage closet. Although some of the buttons were missing from Rick's shirt, and Kate was going commando, they were both smiling and completely satisfied...

**I take these two characters out of their box, and what do they do again? ;) I planned on having Kate slip into dominating Rick with Mistress Heat, but Rick just wouldn't stop being the aggressor himself. Next chapter promises some interesting complications for these two. **

_**Please, please review! You guys are my inspiration! If you don't review, I'm reluctant to continue. :(  
**_


	9. Chapter 9

_After a few minutes, they discreetly exited the storage closet. Although some of the buttons were missing from Rick's shirt, and Kate was going commando, they were both smiling and completely satisfied..._

**Disclaimer: Don't own the characters.**

As he watched the rain pour and thunder rumble outside his office window, Rick angrily finished off his third glass of whiskey. Simply put, he was angry at himself for being jealous that Kate was with Colin Hunt in that strapless, sexy black gown. It had been a little over a month since they had phone sex and slept together for the first time. It had been two weeks since their earth-shattering encounter in the storage closet. And, it had been only a week ago that he heard her admit how she remembered everything about her shooting. She heard him tell her he loved her, and she lied about it for months. When he thought back to the times they were intimate, he realized she never said those words back to him, even though he confessed them to her. Hell, she even hung up on him once! How could he have been so stupid? She knew his feelings for her all along, and she used him for something that felt like "friends with benefits." Apparently, she only needed him for sex, and, of course, for coffee. His heart was shattered and broken. She never loved him. All of his dreams were gone. There would be no dating, proposal, wedding, children, anniversaries, or growing old together. Everything was destroyed. So, what did he do? He punished her. He flaunted a blond bimbette in front of her and froze her out. As far as he was concerned the "love switch" was off. Since Detective Beckett liked meaningless sexual encounters, he would give her what she asked for and so much more. However, he would not give her love. No, he was tired of being the vulnerable love-sick fool. Hell, she was probably banging Hunt right now. He hurled his glass at the wall, and it crashed into hundreds of pieces.

Kate was also hurt, confused, and completely devastated. All of a sudden, Rick was cold and distant, and he was also back to his playboy ways with Jacinda, or whatever flavor-of-the-week he could get his hands on. She was afraid that this was going to happen. Since she finally gave in and let her wall crumble, she was no longer a challenge, a conquest. The game was over, and the excitement of the chase was gone. She thought he meant it when he told her he loved her, but apparently, he knew how to use that line to his advantage to get what he wanted. Since he no longer wanted her, all words of love were gone and were replaced by iciness and avoidance. She felt like she was just another notch on Richard Castle's bedpost. However, it was worse than that. He acted like he couldn't stand her. At first, she thought that maybe she did something to make him angry, but she reasoned that he would at least talk to her if that was the case. She tried to retaliate by going out for a drink with Colin, but the comment Rick made about wanting "uncomplicated" continued to torture her until she found herself too nauseated to go through with even meeting him. On her way home, she called him back and cancelled. She was exhausted and really just wanted to climb into bed, hide from the world, and cry herself to sleep. At least she hadn't been foolish enough to tell him she loved him.

**Okay, don't murder me yet. I know I this chapter is dark, but Kate's secret had to come out. The sex makes the fallout**_** so **_**much more complicated though. Don't worry. There will be struggles. There will be a BIG twist. And, there will be more sex, and Mistress Heat, eventually. Thank God it's finally Castle Monday!**

_**Please review! It inspires me to continue.**_


	10. Chapter 10

_She was exhausted and really just wanted to climb into bed, hide from the world, and cry herself to sleep. At least she hadn't been foolish enough to tell him she loved him. _

**Disclaimer: Don't own the characters. **

Castle knew he was driving the knife in deeper when he decided to follow Detective Slaughter two weeks later. However, he reasoned, he wasn't "getting any" inspiration from his own muse, and the case had _severed heads_. It was a mystery writer's dream. Even Detective Beckett reminded him he was a writer and not a cop. What she didn't understand was that he was doing this research for his readers and for the story, not because he was trying to be "a cop" or even punish her. At least, that was what he was trying to convince himself of. No, he wasn't trying to punish her, he rationalized. If he was, he surely wouldn't have brought her coffee when he broke the news to her. It was odd, because before he told her, he swore she almost looked like she was happy to see him and was glowing. It must have been his mind playing tricks on him though, because she ended up walking away from him and rejecting his coffee before he left with Slaughter. This was not unexpected, seeing that she didn't love him anyway. It surprised him when she had his back later on the case, but that was probably only because she was fulfilling her obligation as his "partner." God, he wanted so much more for them than to be so broken. He needed her to spin wild murder theories with him, eat with him at Remy's, share cups of coffee with him, and take him in the storage closet because she loved him so desperately that she couldn't fight their erotic magnetic pull. He needed her to love him. For even though he was angry and hurt, he discovered he couldn't just abruptly stop loving her. However, he realized what he wanted was not reality. In reality, she lied because she didn't love him. More than anything he ever wished for in his life, he wished with all his heart that some great cosmic force would sweep through his life and fix this whole damned mess.

What he didn't know was that this "cosmic force" was already manifesting itself into both of their lives.

Kate was definitely in a bad place. If Kate was devastated before, she felt like someone kicked her in the stomach when Castle informed her he was going to follow Detective Slaughter. Even though she knew he didn't want a personal long-term relationship with her, she thought that maybe their partnership could be salvaged. He had been her partner for four years now, and surely that meant something to him. She knew it meant something to her. However, now it looked like he might be exploring ways to be done with that as well. When he brought her the coffee, she was happy because she thought that maybe they could start putting some of the pieces back together again, but she was _so _wrong. After he made his intentions to follow Slaughter known, a wave of nausea overtook her, and she could no longer even stand the smell of the coffee. She didn't want it anywhere near her. So, she completely abandoned it on her desk. Her day only got worse from that point on. The nausea didn't subside, and she was barely able to keep down what little bit of lunch she was able to eat. As she prepared for the trial, she was surprised when she got dizzy a couple of times, but she attributed it to her lack of food and not feeling well. In spite of the fact she was completely exhausted, she even managed to have Castle's back. He was still her partner, and although she was upset and heartbroken, she still loved him. She only wished he felt the same. She hoped she reminded him of the magnitude of their partnership when she said, "That's what partners are supposed to do."

After she left the precinct, Kate grabbed some Chinese takeout and went home. Unfortunately, as soon as she took a few bites of her dinner, the nausea returned with a vengeance. She barely made it to the toilet before she vomited. Eventually, after a few dry heaves, she made her way to her bedroom and collapsed on the bed with exhaustion. She didn't even have the energy to change her clothes. She was just so tired and so nauseous. That was when it hit her like a ton of bricks. She opened the drawer to her nightstand and checked her calendar. She was so preoccupied that she didn't notice she was a little over _four weeks late_.

Her hands trembled as she scrambled out of bed, pulled her hair back into a ponytail, and found her shoes. She kept trying to reassure herself that they took precautions, and she had been under a lot of stress over the past few weeks. She pushed the fatigue and nausea away as she made her way to the drug store and bought the test that could change the rest of their lives. Her hands continued to shake all the way home and as she took that test and waited for the results. She didn't have long to wait because the results were almost immediately apparent. _Two lines_. It was positive._ She was pregnant with Richard Castle's baby_.

**Just wanted to say that I absolutely loved Castle on Monday! Kate just needs to jackhammer down that wall immediately because Castle loves her **_**so**_** much! I hope you guys are not upset that Kate is pregnant. I should have known that when I let them out of their boxes to play, they would get themselves into trouble. ;) Trust me. This is definitely more than a baby fic, and the M will definitely be back. I just have to work a little magic first. :)**

**I tried to answer a few reviews.**_** Thanks so much for all your reviews**_**. They encourage me to continue. Please review this chapter, so I don't feel compelled to punish Rick and Kate for what they did and put them away in their boxes for awhile.**


	11. Chapter 11

_Her hands trembled as she scrambled out of bed, pulled her hair back into a ponytail, and found her shoes. She kept trying to reassure herself that they took precautions, and she had been under a lot of stress over the past few weeks. She pushed the fatigue and nausea away as she made her way to the drug store and bought the test that could change the rest of their lives. Her hands continued to shake all the way home and as she took that test and waited for the results. She didn't have long to wait because the results were almost immediately apparent. Two lines. It was positive. She was pregnant with Richard Castle's baby._

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, although I sure wish I could have Rick to myself for awhile. **

_Kate couldn't quite comprehend that she was actually pregnant. How could this be possible? They took precautions! It was just her luck that she was in the two percent failure rate. How could she have a baby? She was a homicide detective, and her job put her life at risk every day. She was also single, and the baby's father seemed like he didn't want anything to do with her anymore. She collapsed on her bed, and the great Detective Beckett cried herself to sleep. _

When she woke up in the morning, a wave of nausea overtook her and she was in the bathroom again with mostly dry heaves. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, Kate decided to exercise some control and try to make sense of everything. When her aunt was pregnant and having morning sickness, she remembered her mom telling her how saltine crackers would help to ease it. To that end, she rummaged in her kitchen cupboard until she found some. Cautiously, she ate a couple and noticed she felt a little better. She ate a few more, and then decided to make a couple pieces of dry toast with some orange juice. With the nausea under some control, she thought about the predicament she was in. Even though she didn't know how she would manage everything, she knew she would have the baby. She loved Castle with all her heart, even though he seemed like he couldn't stand her anymore. Castle was a good father. He might not have feelings for her, but she was sure he would love his child. She knew she had to tell him, but she decided to wait until after she confirmed the pregnancy with her doctor. She definitely did not want to tell him she was pregnant, and then find out she was wrong. Things were already complicated enough. No, until she went to the doctor, she planned to keep this whole thing to herself. She needed time to deal with the enormity of having a baby and being a single mom with a dangerous job. In the meantime, she would be more careful at work and just take one step at a time.

Before she went to the precinct, she called her doctor. Surprisingly, he was able to squeeze her in if she could be there in an hour. She called the precinct and told Gates she needed to take half a day off for a doctor's appointment that slipped her mind. Gates gave her the green light, and Kate rushed to make her appointment on time. About an hour later, the doctor informed her she was definitely pregnant. As a matter of fact, from the date of her last period, she was about eleven weeks along. He gave her a prescription for prenatal vitamins and told her he would need to see her in a few days to do blood work and an ultrasound. She wanted to ask him some questions, but before she could, he got called to the hospital for an emergency. Instead, the nurse gave her a lot of pamphlets, congratulated her, and made her an appointment. Kate couldn't believe how much her life had changed in 24 hours.

Rick couldn't believe they were actually chasing a zombie killer. He and Kate were also in a somewhat better place as well. His mother was right. He couldn't go on punishing her. It wasn't good for either of them. He decided this was going to be his last case, but then she opened up to him twice. First, she eluded to the fact that she didn't say she remembered because it was too big to deal with and she couldn't face it just yet. Then, she surprised him by telling him she was in therapy and was in a place where she could finally accept everything that happened when she was shot. She also said her wall was coming down, and she wanted him to be there when it did. He was still hurt and somewhat confused, but when she looked at him with those beautiful hopeful eyes and that Kate Beckett smile, his heart wouldn't allow this to be his last case. He hoped he wouldn't regret it, but he had to follow his heart. She shouldn't have lied, but maybe she actually couldn't deal with what happened that day, including his confession. Maybe she wasn't able to accept that he loved her because she still was working on accepting everything that happened to her when she was shot. She almost died that day. He also remembered the sniper case. She was definitely falling apart then. Yes, therapy was good. Actually, he was somewhat proud of her that she took the intiative and went into therapy on her own. Maybe her having sex with him was because her wall was finally coming down, and not because she wanted a meaningless sexual encounter. If she wanted to be "friends with benefits," wouldn't she have pursued him before four years? The problem no longer seemed to be that she didn't love him, but rather that she wasn't ready to love him, admit her feelings, or deal with the fact that he loved her. Would this be enough for him? _For now_, he thought. He had to admit he enjoyed having her back as his partner on this case. She did seem a little different though. He noticed she was avoiding coffee and drinking tea instead. She also seemed to have a lot on her mind and was really tired. He caught her yawning at least three times on her way to question Kyle at the hospital.

Kate was tired. She tried to get up the courage to tell Castle all day about the pregnancy, but she just couldn't spit it out. She was able to admit she was in therapy, she was dealing with everything that happened when she was shot, and that her wall was finally coming down. She was surprised to see Castle really listen to her like he cared and help her solve the case like old times. It was beginning to look like their partnership would be okay. She was relying on this, because they were going to have to get along for the sake of their child. He or she would _always _connect them now. She was still hurt by the way he was been treating her before this case, but she had to get past that because she had so much more to deal with now. Even though it might be pathetic, she didn't want to completely lose him. Her heart couldn't deny how she still loved him and needed him, even if he didn't feel the same way about her. What did Castle say a couple years ago? The heart wants what the heart wants. She was relieved the nausea wasn't so bad today. The tea she drank seemed to help a lot. For some reason, she noticed the smell of coffee completely turned her stomach. She didn't know how she was going to live without her daily coffee. As she was contemplating this, she yawned for the hundredth time and decided to head home.

Kate was on her way home on her motorcycle when it happened. If she wasn't yawning, she might have noticed the car run the stoplight. Instead, she heard the crash of metal as it hit the front tire of her bike. The last thing she remembered before losing consciousness was hitting the pavement after being thrown from the bike.

Castle was playing laser tag with Alexis when he got the call that would completely change his life.

"Mr. Castle?"

"Yes."

"This is Dr. Bernstein from Presbyterian Hospital. You are listed as an emergency contact for Katherine Beckett. She was involved in an accident tonight. Can you please come down here?"

Castle felt his heart drop to the floor. "I'll be right there."

He felt his hands shaking as he quickly explained to Alexis that he had to get to the hospital because Kate was in an accident. He promised to call her when he had any news.

It seemed like the drive to the hospital took forever. What if she was dying? What would he do if he lost her? He was hopeful after today. Things were better between them._ Why did this have to happen now? _He fought to blink back a tear as he parked the car and rushed into the hospital. The nurse at the emergency room desk immediately paged Dr, Bernstein, and he appeared after a few minutes.

"Mr. Castle, I'm Dr. Bernstein," he said as he extended his hand.

"Kate...How's...How's Kate?" he stuttered.

"Katherine was involved in an accident. It seems a car ran a stoplight and hit her motorcycle. The force of the impact threw her from the bike. Luckily, she was wearing a helmet. She still suffered a pretty nasty gash on her head, which required ten stitches, and a concussion. However, her left wrist and left lower arm took the brunt of the fall. She fractured both of them. She also has some road rash on her left side, but I would say, with all factors considered, she's a pretty lucky lady. Oh, by the way, the baby's okay. Its heartbeat was strong, and even though we only did a quick scan, the ultrasound showed no evidence of any threat of miscarriage."

"She's pregnant? Are you sure?" Castle felt shocked and a little sick to his stomach.

"Yes, I'd say she's almost three months along."

"Have...Have you told her informed her of this?" he felt as if the room was starting to spin.

"No, she hasn't regained consciousness since she's been here. We casted her left lower arm, stitched her up, and gave her some pain medicine through her IV. Don't worry though, it won't hurt the baby. We'll definitely be keeping her overnight for observation, and then we'll go from there, depending on when she regains consciousness." He flipped open the chart and handed Castle a picture. "Here's an extra ultrasound picture. I know how it is to be expectant parents and worry after something like this. My wife had a fender bender when she was about five months along. Even though everything was okay, it still shook us up a lot. It's nice to see tangible evidence that everything's okay."

Castle felt tears in his eyes as he stared at the picture. He saw what appeared to be a very tiny human form. He couldn't believe it. This was their baby..._His and Kate's_. They had a baby.

**So, these two are in quite an interesting place now. She's going to need to rely on him a little, and he's going to want to be a little more involved. He doesn't think she can handle him confessing his love for her, and, ironically, that's the one confession she needs more than anything else. Worse yet, he doesn't know if she knows that she's even pregnant. This should be interesting.**

_**Please review! **_**I need to know that you're reading and want me to continue, or I'll lose my motivation to continue.**

_**I know the ultrasound only showed one Castle baby, but life is full of little surprises. Please tell me if you guys want one baby or twins. **_


	12. Chapter 12

_Castle felt tears in his eyes as he stared at the picture. He saw what appeared to be a very tiny human form. He couldn't believe it. This was their baby...His and Kate's. They had a baby. _

**Disclaimer: I still don't own the characters.**

Dr. Bernstein led Castle to Kate's room. His breath caught in his throat as he noticed how broken and fragile she looked. She had a large gauze bandage on her left temple and an elbow-length cast on her left arm. He noticed she had several bruises. She was hooked to an IV and a heart monitor with a blood pressure cuff. For the life of him, he didn't quite comprehend how their baby was spared. The only explanation he could think of was that this baby must have his and Kate's innate ability to survive.

He went over to her bed and tenderly grasped her hand. While rubbing circles on her hand with his thumb, he gently pushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Even though she was hurt and bruised, she still was so beautiful, and his heart ached for her.

"Kate...C'mon Kate, you've got to wake up...I promise everything will be okay, but you've got to wake up." There was no response. Castle felt utterly helpless.

"It may take her awhile to regain consciousness. She hit her head pretty hard. I'm not worried right now, but the longer she remains unconscious, the greater the chance of residual damage. Just be with her, talk to her, and encourage her to wake up. Sometimes touch is the best medicine. If you need anything or if she wakes up, just press the call button. The nurses will be in every once in awhile to check her vitals and the baby's heartbeat," assured Dr. Bernstein.

Dr. Bernstein left Castle alone with Kate. To say the least, Castle was overwhelmed. Tonight, he almost lost Kate forever. She was the most maddening, remarkable, and frustrating woman he ever met, but he loved her nonetheless. How would he survive if he lost her? He shuddered to think about it. How many times had they almost lost their lives already? This had to stop because he wasn't getting any younger and now they had a baby to consider. He wondered if she knew that she was pregnant. He hoped so because it would be terribly awkward to have to tell her himself. He remembered the first night they were together. They weren't exactly being as careful as they should have been, but he was so hot for her that he lost most of his control. Even though he already loved their child, his mind was still having a hard time processing everything. There would be eighteen years between this baby and Alexis. How would he tell Alexis? Sure, he thought about having kids with Kate before, but he thought they would be married first. They had _so_ much to work out between them yet. However, the fact remained that they had a baby...part him...part Kate..._together_.

Castle tried to wake Kate a few more times, but with no success. He tried to call her dad, but he wasn't home. He updated Alexis and Martha about Kate's condition, omitting the fact that she was pregnant for now. He did the same for Lanie, Ryan, and Esposito. Since it was so late, they all planned to visit Kate the following day. Castle finally dozed off for a couple of hours, his head on Kate's bed with his hand still holding hers. The nurse woke him up when she checked Kate's vitals. All of his previous concerns vanished when he heard the baby's heartbeat. He thought it was the most wonderful sound in the world, and he and Kate had been the ones to create it.

"Baby's heartbeat is strong at 160. Miss Beckett's vitals are fine. You should try to get a little bit more sleep, Mr. Castle. I brought you a pillow and a blanket. If you need anything else, don't hesitate to ask."

Castle thanked her, and she left. He tried to wake Kate again, but she remained unconscious. He tentatively let go of her hand and gently moved his hand to her lower abdomen. He immediately felt a small swelling where their baby was. He tenderly placed his hand over it, as if protecting it from the world.

"Little one, this is your dad. I know things have been a little rough in there lately, but I'm here now, and I'm going to do my best to protect you. So, just hang in there. Everything's going to be alright. I promise."

When the nurse checked Kate's vitals later that morning, she found Castle asleep with his hand resting protectively on Kate's lower abdomen. She smiled.

**In honor of Castle finale Monday, I'm posting two chapters. **_**Please review!**_** Thanks for all your wonderful reviews already!**


	13. Chapter 13

_When the nurse checked Kate's vitals later that morning, she found Castle asleep with his hand resting protectively on Kate's lower abdomen. She smiled._

**Disclaimer: I still don't own the characters.**

Kate did not wake up all day. Martha, Alexis, Lanie, Ryan, and Esposito all came, but Kate _still_ didn't wake up. Castle finally reached Kate's dad, and he also came to see her. He stayed for a few hours, but then he had to leave. He told Castle to call him if there was any change. Castle made sure none of them found out about the baby. He decided it was best to wait and see how Kate wanted to handle things first.

When the doctor came by that evening, he was worried.

"Mr. Castle, I thought Miss Beckett would have regained consciousness by now. The longer she remains unconscious, the more concerned I get. It's been 24 hours. If she hasn't regained consciousness by tomorrow morning, we may have to consider that she has some residual damage from her head injury."

"What can I do? I'll do anything," Castle pleaded.

"Just keep on doing what you've been doing. Talk to her and encourage her to wake up. Let's wait a little longer and keep our fingers crossed."

As soon as the doctor left, Castle knelt down next to Kate again and softly spoke next to her ear.

"Kate, you've got to wake up for me here. I know you can do it, Kate. The doctor's telling me that you need to wake up sooner than later. I know it's hard, but you've got to do this. We've got a baby to think about now, Kate. You have to open your eyes for me. I can't do this alone. Partners, remember? C'mon sweetie, it's time to wake up now."

He tenderly cupped her face in his hands and brushed his lips against hers. He waited a few seconds for a response and smiled when she finally opened her eyes.

"It's you..._Richard Castle_. You signed my book."

"Yes, and we sat on the swings and talked."

"I don't remember any swings. You asked me to your loft._ Oh my God...we slept together_. Where are we?" Kate said in a little voice, as she took in her surroundings. "What happened to me?" Kate looked lost, confused, and very scared.

"It's okay, Kate." He held her hand. "You were in an accident. A car hit your motorcycle, and you were thrown from your bike. You got knocked in the head pretty hard. You have a few stitches in your head, and you broke your wrist and lower left arm. You also have a few nasty bruises."

"I don't remember leaving the loft after we were together." Kate continued to look confused and more scared.

"Sweetie, the accident happened on your way home from the precinct."

"What precinct? Was I in trouble for something? Why would I be at a precinct? I don't understand." Castle noticed tears forming in Kate's eyes.

"Tell me what you remember, Kate."

"I went to your book signing. I probably stood in line for over an hour. After you signed my book, you asked me to wait in the bookstore until you were done because you wanted to talk to me. I couldn't believe you, Richard Castle, wanted to have a conversation with me. I waited. We talked. You asked me to your loft, and I turned you down." He noticed Kate was blushing. "However, you were persistent, and I finally agreed to just one glass of wine. You took me to your loft. And then...you told me...and we got carried away...and..." Kate started to cry.

Castle felt a wave of nausea as he heard Kate's story. She didn't remember! In her mind, he was the famous author who flirted with her, one of his fans, after his book signing and asked her to his loft for a drink, where apparently they had… He took a deep breath and composed himself. He would handle this. He had to. Kate needed him. As God as his witness, he just couldn't imagine how things could get any worse.

Castle gently cupped her face again, and brushed her tears away with his thumbs. "Everything's going to be okay, Kate. Trust me. I'm going to get the doctor, and everything's going to be okay. I promise."

**Castle Monday is here! I'm sooo excited! I hope they are Ausiello's blind item!**

**I hope these chapters weren't too angsty. Trust me, I have a plan. I definitely don't plan on delving into any more medical drama at this point. Don't worry. The amnesia is just temporary for a few days-and will end up being lots of fun. Plus, her injuries are just limiting enough that she will definitely have to bunk with Castle for a few days. Next chapter, I think we should explore what happened in Castle's loft in Kate's unconscious mind. What do you guys think? **_**Please review and let me know**__**if we should explore her unconscious dreams**_**.**


	14. Chapter 14

_Castle gently cupped her face again, and brushed her tears away with his thumbs. "Everything's going to be okay, Kate. Trust me. I'm going to get the doctor, and everything's going to be okay. I promise."_

**Disclaimer: I still don't own the characters.**

Dr. Bernstein seemed relieved that Kate was finally conscious. After a quick once-over, he asked her a few questions, focusing on concerns Castle voiced to him before he entered the room.

"Miss Beckett, what year is it?"

"2012"

"How old are you?"

"32"

"What's your occupation?"

Kate paused. "I don't think I have one. I think I'm taking economics at NYU."

"Are you familiar with the 12th precinct?"

"No, I've never heard of it."

"How are you acquainted with Mr. Castle?"

Kate felt herself blushing. "I like reading his books. I met him at a book signing recently."

Dr. Bernstein continued to ask Kate questions and finally asked to speak to Castle privately. Castle followed him outside the room.

"Mr. Castle, it appears Katherine is suffering from some amnesia, which, in light of her head injury, is not uncommon. She knows what year it is, how old she is, and where she lives. What she doesn't remember is that she's a homicide detective or works at the 12th precinct. She doesn't remember much about you either. She believes she recently met you at a book signing. She also doesn't remember the accident. I didn't ask her, but I'm sure she isn't even aware she's pregnant."

Castle felt his stomach twist in knots. "What can I do?"

"Well, the amnesia should be temporary. Her memories should return in a week or so, as the residual swelling in her brain subsides. However, she may never completely remember the accident. Try to let her remember as much as possible on her own instead of filling in the blanks for her. Don't overwhelm her. Keep visitors to a minimum. Other than the temporary memory loss, her vitals have been strong and stable, so she can be discharged later today. She will need someone to stay with her for a few days. She will also need to follow-up with her own doctor. By the way, she does need to be informed about the pregnancy because the nurse needs to check the baby's heartbeat again before discharge. I can inform her if you want."

"No, I'll tell her." Castle swallowed nervously, "At least she doesn't have access to a gun right now."

Castle finally returned to Kate's room. She was waiting for him, nervously twirling a strand of her hair around her finger. He sat down in the chair next to her bed and took her hand in his.

"Kate, I talked to the doctor. He said you do have some memory loss. He believes it is just temporary and will return in about a week. He wants you to try to remember things on your own. He says you can go home later today, but you will need somebody to stay with you for a few days. I don't want you to argue with me, but you're stuck with me for awhile. No questions asked. You can stay at my loft in the guest room. My mother's out of town, and my daughter, Alexis, is busy getting ready for graduation." Rick paused and locked his eyes with hers. "Now, I have one more thing I've got to tell you, but it's really big, and you might have a hard time wrapping your mind around it. Are you ready to hear it or do you want to wait for a little bit?"

Kate's eyes were wide and scared. "I...I'm ready. Just go ahead and tell me."

Castle sighed uncomfortably, ran his fingers through his head, and continued, "Kate, you're right. We have slept together, but the last time was a little over two months ago. What you're not remembering is that we've actually known each other for four years. No, we're not married, but you are my best friend and my partner. Kate, there's no easy way to put this...but...you...you're almost three months pregnant with our child."

Kate's voice was small and frightened, "No...I can't be...We only...I don't understand..."

Castle took her hand and placed it over the small swell of her lower abdomen. He could see the realization dawn beyond the tears in her eyes. He stood up, pulled her head to his chest, and wrapped his arms protectively around her. "I'm not going anywhere, Kate. We'll take this one step at a time. Everything's going to be okay."

Castle finally decided he needed to go home, take a shower, and get the guest room ready for Kate. Kate was relieved to see him go because she definitely needed a little time to herself to try to put everything into some type of perspective. Before he left, things were somewhat awkward between them. It was like they were lovesick teenagers. They made small talk, both avoiding more serious topics for the time being. She would catch him glancing at her; she would blush and smile, and then he would shyly smile back. Then, she would study him; he would catch her and smirk, and she would blush again. Meanwhile, he held her hand securely in his own. She could feel the electricity coursing between them. She found herself longing for him to push her back against the bed and claim her lips with his own. She wanted to taste his mouth and feel the heat of his hands exploring her body, while she explored his body as well. She felt the same draw and attraction to him that she did in her imaginings when she was unconscious. However, this was reality. And in reality, she was having _Richard freaking Castle's _baby! She couldn't believe that _she_,_ Kate Beckett_, was actually pregnant. She lovingly placed her hand on her little baby bump. This was _their baby_..._hers_...and _Richard Castle's_. He said they were best friends and partners for four years. Partners? What exactly did he mean? He also said they weren't married, but they were definitely having a baby, so they must be in a committed romantic relationship. Maybe he considered them to be "partners" in that respect. She knew that there was definitely a strong, almost magnetic, pull between them.

It was hard to believe that she was involved in a committed relationship with Richard Castle, her favorite author. His books had gotten her through some really rough patches in her life. She remembered how excited she was at the book signing to meet him and have him sign her book. _Wait_. That was a dream. She pinched herself for reassurance that this wasn't just another figment of her imagination. It wasn't. Even though she couldn't remember their life as a couple, she did feel a strange sense of familiarity and belonging when she was with him that she couldn't deny. On the flip side, she didn't remember how she got into the accident or conceived this baby. Was it planned or unplanned? She supposed they decided to raise it together. Did her dad know? Was he okay? Was she an economics major or something else, something more? She definitely planned on getting answers to her questions. Richard Castle or not, he wasn't going to get away with avoiding her. She decided right then and there that she was going to get back her memories, all of them. If that meant exploring the more intimate details of this relationship between her and Richard Castle, then so be it. Bring it on. With a renewed sense of Kate Beckett determination, she smiled smugly and looked forward to spending the next few days with Richard Castle.

**Almost there. I promise that next chapter will be lots of fun. I was going to elaborate on Kate's unconscious dream, but I think I'll put that on hold for now. **

**By the way, did the finale make your hearts stop the way it did mine? He had me at "I bring you coffee to see you smile." September is too far away!**

_**Please review**_**! I need to know if this is worth continuing. Your reviews keep me going.**


	15. Chapter 15

_She decided right then and there that she was going to get back her memories, all of them. If that meant exploring the more intimate details of this relationship between her and Richard Castle, then so be it. Bring it on. With a renewed sense of Kate Beckett determination, she smiled smugly and looked forward to spending the next few days with Richard Castle._

**Disclaimer: I still don't own the characters.**

Castle called Lanie on his way home, and she dropped off some clothes for Kate, just as he was getting ready to go back to the hospital. He informed her of what was going on, and Lanie told him to take good care of her girl and that she and the boys would hold off on visiting Kate for now. Castle also called Kate's dad. He was a little worried, but Castle reassured him. He said he would stop by the loft in a day or two. Alexis was concerned about Kate, and she was agreeable with Kate staying for awhile. Castle continued to keep the pregnancy a secret from them until Kate regained her memory and they could talk.

After Kate was discharged and settled in the guest room, they went downstairs. He noticed Kate was sore from all the bruising, because he caught her grimacing while she made her way slowly down the stairs. Castle offered her the pain medication the doctor prescribed, but she refused. Knowing he wouldn't convince her otherwise, Castle decided to make her something for dinner.

"So, name whatever you want for dinner, and it is yours. I am here to serve you." Castle figured she would suggest Chinese take-out or pasta.

"How about a peanut butter, jelly, and banana sandwich, if it's not too much trouble?" Kate smiled.

"You're kidding, right?" Castle raised his eyebrows at her.

"Actually, I'm quite serious."

Castle couldn't believe that Kate would eat something as odd as that. He secretly wondered if she might be game for a smorelette. Hmmm...Good idea for breakfast tomorrow. Castle got out the peanut butter and jelly and started slicing the bananas.

"Can I ask you a question?" Kate said as she watched him intently.

"Sure. Fire away."

"How did we conceive this baby?"

Castle's eyes went wide with shock and he choked. He definitely wasn't expecting this. "Uh...Kate...you know...a man...and a woman...and they..."

"Mr. Castle, I know all about the birds and the bees. What I want to know is how did _we _conceive this baby?" Kate stared at him in anticipation, waiting patiently for his answer.

"First of all, it's Rick or Castle. Mr. Castle's a little formal don't you think?" He glanced at her stomach.

"Why would I call you Castle? That's a bit odd."

"I guess you could say we call each other Castle and Beckett, as the situation dictates."

"What? Are those our pet names for each other or something?"

"Huh? No...no way. We mostly use them when we're working."

'Working on what?"

"Uh...I can't tell you. Remember the doctor said he wants you to remember on your own." Castle smirked.

"That's no fun." Kate pouted.

Castle tried to change the subject. "Hey, you should let me sign your cast. I'll write something really cool on it."

Kate got up and sauntered up to Castle, standing behind him. She pressed into his back, ever so lightly, stood up on her tiptoes, and spoke softly into his ear. He felt the warmth of her breath against his neck as she said, "I'll let you write whatever you want on my cast, if you answer me one question."

"Kate...you know the doctor said..."

"I don't care _what _the doctor said. C'mon _Rick_. Not afraid of one little question, are you?" Kate was the one smirking now.

"Whatever I want?"

"Whatever you want."

"You've got a deal,_ Kate_. You eat your sandwich. I'll get my Sharpie."

After Kate got done eating, he motioned for her to come into the living room. He sat down on the couch, and to his surprise, she sat down right next to him. Rick got his Sharpie ready.

"Oh no you don't. You answer my question first, and then you sign the cast."

"Are you sure you have amnesia?"

"Ha. ha. So funny. So, are you going to answer my question?"

"Fine."

"How did we conceive this baby? I _want_ details."

You're not going to give this up, are you?"

"Nope."

"Fine. You texted me on your phone and pretended to be a dominatrix." He smirked and raised an eyebrow at her. "Don't look at me that way, Kate Beckett. You did. As a matter of fact, you called yourself Mistress Heat. One thing led to another, and you asked me to call you. We...uh...had phone sex. You hung up on me, which I found to be quite frustrating, by the way, so I went to your apartment. One thing led to another...and..."

"Don't stop, Rick. I want to knowexactlywhat happened after you showed up at my apartment." Kate locked eyes with Castle, and he was pulled into their depths. He felt hypnotized.

"I kissed you. I forced you up against a wall and kissed you." His voice was husky with emotion. "I told you that you were going to be mine in every sense of the word, and I kissed you." His eyes hungrily looked at her with rediscovered want and need.

Kate scooted closer to him and leaned in so her lips were only inches away from his. She felt the electricity and heat course between them. She whispered, "Maybe if you kissed me again, I would remember."

"Maybe..." He slowly leaned in to brush his lips gently against hers. She, in turn, softly ghosted her lips over his. He put one hand at the nape of her neck, pulled her into him, claimed her lips, and deepened the kiss. She opened her mouth to him, and he explored it with his tongue, delighting in the taste of her once again. Before he knew it, she was seeking his mouth as well, and their tongues met in a heated dance.

He finally pulled away and breathlessly asked, "You remember anything?"

"No, but keep talking." She looked at him like a tigress ready to pounce.

"I ripped your shirt off," he growled as he leaned in closer to her again. She felt his warm breath and his moist lips on her neck. He lustfully looked down at the little bit of lace that he could just make out under her blouse. He slowly unbuttoned one button and then one more. She had on a black lace bra. He noticed her breasts were fuller from the pregnancy. His breath caught in his throat. She looked like a goddess. His heated mouth trailed down to tease and nip the black lace, as his hands desperately caressed her breasts through her bra. His thumbs circled her nipples until they were firm. Kate whimpered and ran her fingers through his hair. He suddenly stopped and remained still for a few seconds, his breath hot against her breasts.

It took every ounce of strength that he could summon, but somehow he managed to pull away. Kate immediately missed his warmth, his hands, and his lips on her. He tenderly cupped her face in his hands and searched her eyes some sign of understanding. "Kate, even though I want you so much right now it hurts, this isn't right. You don't remember, and I feel like I'm taking advantage of you...of this situation. We still have...I don't know how to put this, Kate. I don't want to do something that we might regret later. I'm so sorry. Do you understand?" His voice was on edge, and he sighed in defeat.

"I suppose so…for now." Kate tentatively bit her lower lip and cast her eyes down to the floor.

Castle couldn't believe how persistent she was. Typical Kate Beckett. He smiled, reached over, and hugged her tightly to him. "Don't worry, Kate. Baby steps. We'll get there. I promise." He carefully refastened the two buttons on her blouse, and then hesitated before he said, "Now, I believe you owe me the honor of writing on your cast."

"Hmmm...I don't know, Rick. We had a deal. You answer my question; you sign my cast. You didn't fully answer my question."

"_C'mon Kate_...that's not fair." His eyes pleaded with hers.

She caved. "Okay, you can only write one thing though, because you only told me one part of what I wanted to know."

"Agreed."

Later, as she drifted off to sleep, she glanced down at her cast again. On it, he had written one word: Extraordinary.

**That chapter was fun. Things are finally starting to heat up again. I plan to have lots more fun with the next chapter. **

**Please, please, please review! I need to know that you guys are still reading and want me to continue. Another chapter?**


	16. Chapter 16

_She caved. "Okay, you can only write one thing though, because you only told me one part of what I wanted to know."_

_"Agreed."_

_Later, as she drifted off to sleep, she glanced down at her cast again. On it, he had written one word: Extraordinary._

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. **

Flashes of death...Trapped in a car, underwater, incapable of breathing...Locked in a freezer, unbearable cold, unable to remain conscious...Immobilized in front of a bomb with seconds left, the future slipping away...Frightened in a tub, loud explosion, burning towels...Impacted by a gunshot in the chest, falling, blood everywhere...

A loud clap of thunder and flash of lightning startled Kate awake from her nightmare. She was trembling and covered in a cold sweat. Her head throbbed, her arm ached, and she was frightened. The thunder and the lightening only served to magnify her fear. She was completely alone, and she didn't remember where she was. With the next powerful bang of thunder, she took off running. She ran out of the guest room and stumbled down the stairs. Another blast of thunder and lightning shattered around her, and she collapsed onto the floor with a blood-curdling scream. She wrapped her arms around her knees, pulled them up to her chin, and started to sob uncontrollably.

Castle was jolted out of sleep by Kate's terrifying scream. "Kate!...Are you okay? Kate?" he yelled, as he scrambled out of bed and rushed out of his bedroom. He was not prepared for what he saw next. In the middle of his living room floor, Kate was shaking and sobbing. He immediately got down onto the floor and wrapped her protectively in his arms.

'Kate, are you okay? Are you hurt? What happened?"

Kate continued to cry.

Castle gently wiped some of her tears away with his thumb. "Everything's going to be okay, Kate. Do you hear me? Everything's going to be okay. I promise, but sweetie, you need to tell me what's wrong? Did you fall?"

"No," Kate whimpered softly between sobs. Castle continued to hold her in his arms as he gently stroked her hair. Although she was trembling, he noticed that she didn't appear to be physically hurt. Finally, after a few minutes, he felt her relax a little, and her tears started to subside.

"Kate, what happened?"

"I...I had a nightmare."

"What was it about?"

"It wasn't about one thing, but different things. Drowning in a car, freezing to death, being in an explosion,...being shot. The lightning and the thunder woke me up...I didn't know where I was, Rick. I was scared. I felt like I was suffocating. I ran. The thunder...It sounded like gunshots." Fresh tears fell down Kate's cheeks.

Castle wiped her tears away again. "Shh...I've got you now. The nightmare's over. It's only a storm. No gunshots. I promise. Are you sure you didn't fall?"

"I'm sure. The nightmare just felt so real," she sighed and shifted in his arms, and he noticed that she grimaced in pain.

A fierce protectiveness overcame him. Memories or no memories, this was the woman he loved, and she was carrying his child. He gently scooped Kate up in his arms.

"It's okay...I can make it to my room, Rick."

"You're not going back to your room. You're staying with me tonight," he growled. He carried her through his study and to his bedroom. Then, he carefully laid her on his bed.

"You're in pain. Is it your arm?"

She nodded, and he placed a pillow under her cast. He retrieved an ice pack, the pain medication that her doctor prescribed, and a glass of water. 'Take these."

She must have been in a considerate amount of pain because she didn't protest about taking the medication. Afterwards, he tucked her in under the covers, and then he settled himself beside her on top of the covers.

"Aren't you going to get cold out there?"

"I'm trying to be a gentleman."

"Well, I have proof that you haven't always been a gentleman." Kate glanced down at her stomach and managed a smile.

"Au contraire, Kate. Even when I'm bad, I'm good." He warmly smiled back at her.

"And was it good when we created little Ricky?" Kate shyly whispered.

Castle laughed, "Little Ricky, huh? What about little Katie?"

Kate grinned, "We'll talk about this later. It's been a long night, and we both need to get some sleep. So, shut up and get under the covers. I won't bite."

"Is that a promise?" Castle chuckled while he climbed under the covers.

"I don't make promises that I can't keep."

As Castle envisioned ravishing Kate's body, silence enveloped the room, except for periodic explosions of thunder and lightning. Eventually, he heard Kate's voice. It was small and frightened. "Will you hold me?"

Castle immediately scooted over next to her and pulled her back against his chest. She tucked her head under his chin while he wrapped one arm securely around her. The smell of cherries enveloped him, and he buried his face in her hair and possessively placed a kiss on the top of her head. He hesitated for a few seconds, but then he boldly placed his other hand over the small swelling that was _their_ baby. A small gasp escaped from Kate's mouth. In return, she tentatively placed her hand over his and gently squeezed it. They both snuggled closer together.

He leaned his head down and whispered into her ear, "Oh, and Kate?"

"Huh?" she shivered as she felt his warm breath against her neck.

"It was so much more than good. You have no idea."

**Sorry so long since last update, but life sometimes just seems to get in the way. Next chapter, it's time to turn up the heat again. Are you guys still out there reading? **_**Please review so I know!**_


	17. Chapter 17

_He leaned his head down and whispered into her ear, "Oh, and Kate?"_

_"Huh?" she shivered as she felt his warm breath against her neck._

_"It was so much more than good. You have no idea."_

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters.**

Castle was having the best dream ever. Kate was _his_ wife, and she was sleeping in _his_ arms in _his_ bed. She was pregnant with _his_ baby. She belonged to him. He pulled her into his chest and possessively kissed the top of her head. The intoxicating smell of cherries overwhelmed his senses and drew him to her like a moth to a flame. He struggled for control. He softly traced circles on her back through her nightgown, and she responded by snuggling even closer to him. He could feel her warm breath on his chest through his t-shirt. As her breath fanned the flames of need stirring within his soul, his heart lurched. The need to possess her intensified until he could no longer fight it, and he lost the control he was seeking so hard to maintain. He rolled them over and pinned her, so she was partially under him with her face mere inches away from his own. He brushed his lips against her forehead, the tip of her nose, and finally, against her lips. She caught his lips with her own, and gently nipped his lower lip. His animal instincts consumed him. He forcefully claimed her lips with both of his, pushing her head into the pillows. He greedily reveled in her taste, her scent, the softness of her skin. The kiss intensified, deepened, and became more heated; their tongues desperately seeking each other's mouth. She gasped and arched her neck as his lips moved from her mouth and hungrily trailed down from her jaw to the vee neck of her knee-length nightshirt. She softly moaned, and the need to have her magnified even more. He heatedly ran his hand down her thigh and pushed her nightshirt over her hips, stomach, and breasts. He ravenously kissed and caressed her breasts.

"Do you know how much I want you? You're mine. And I want what's mine," he growled huskily.

"Oh God, Rick...I want you too...so much," she whimpered.

His lips found the valley between her breasts and eagerly made their way down to her stomach, his breath hot and lustful on her skin. He momentarily halted his assault and tenderly kissed the small swelling where their baby was growing.

"Hey little Katie, it's daddy. If you're half as beautiful as your mommy, I'm going to have my hands full."

He protectively placed his hand over her stomach for a few seconds, and then he purposely made his way back up to her lips and lovingly kissed her. The kiss quickly escalated again. She arched her hips up and grinded wantonly against his hardness. Hot and hungry, he knew he had to have her now. In a fever of greed, he responded by positioning himself more fully between her thighs and shoving his hardness forcefully into the center of her panties. She gasped and moaned his name. He grabbed one wrist and pinned it above her head. Then, he grabbed her other wrist.

Wait. A cast? When did she get a cast? Oh. My. God. He struggled and to catch his breath, fought to become fully awake, and finally opened his eyes. His piercing blue eyes instantly met her confused green ones. Sure enough, he was on top of her just as he dreamed, with her nightshirt pulled up and her breasts heaving as she struggled to calm her own breathing. The problem was that it wasn't a dream at all. It was all real.

As if he had been burnt, he instantly rolled off her and sat on the edge of the bed. He fervently ran his hands through his hair. He was relieved to discover he was still wearing his t-shirt and boxers.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Kate. I thought I was dreaming. I'm..."

With her eyes cast down, Kate interrupted him and softly said, "Rick, you don't have to be sorry. I wanted you too." Kate's breath was still somewhat ragged, and her cheeks were flushed. She had managed to sit up and pull her nightshirt back down.

"I know, but that doesn't make it right. Kate, you are beautiful, and I care about you…so much. The problem is that you don't have your memories back. I'm not sure you would want this if you had them. I can't…I can't hurt you like that."

Exasperated and somewhat angry, Kate replied, "The last time I looked in the mirror, I was still Kate. I can still make my own decisions, Rick...memories or no memories. You told me once that the heart wants what the heart wants."

A glimmer of hope danced across Castle's face, and he reached over and excitedly grabbed her hand. "I did. I said that…to you. You remembered, Kate. Do you remember anything else?"

"No. I don't even know where that came from," Kate sighed in defeat.

He gently rubbed her hand with his thumb. "Look, you've been through a lot. You need time. We need time. And I need you to be sure. I won't take advantage of you." He sighed, then continued, "Hey, It's 6AM, and I have a meeting with my publisher at 8. Do you want me to make you some breakfast?"

"No, that's okay. I'm still tired. I think I'll sleep for another hour or two."

He gave her hand a quick squeeze and moved off the bed. "I'm going to get a shower...a cold shower," he smirked. "And Kate, I am sorry." He quickly disappeared into the bathroom.

After five minutes, Kate felt her stomach growl and decided that she needed food more than sleep. She found her way to the kitchen and started her search for food. She found the peanut butter, but decided she needed something to put the peanut butter on. To that end, she found some sliced salami. Oddly, spreading the peanut butter on a slice of salami sounded absolutely delicious. She rolled up the slice of salami with peanut butter on it and gobbled it up. It was so good that she ate three more slices. She drank a glass of orange juice and decided to go back to bed.

That's when it happened. A sudden, strong wave of nausea overtook her. She put her hand to her mouth and made a mad dash for the bathroom.

She quickly yanked the bathroom door open and ran directly into a very naked and very wet Richard Castle. He jumped back like he had been burned with a hot iron. She rapidly shot him a glance from his head to his toes, grabbed the toilet, and started retching. Castle hastily grabbed a towel and tied it around his waist. He held her hair back and lovingly rubbed small circles on her back as she continued to heave. When she was done, he helped her up and led her to the bed. She sat down, and he got her a cold glass of water.

"You feel any better?" There was obvious concern in his eyes.

"Yeah, I think so. I guess little Ricky doesn't like peanut butter and salami," Kate yawned. "I'm just so tired…need sleep." She snuggled back into the bed and looked up at Castle. His bare chest made her weak with desire. He smelled so good. But she was so tired. Castle covered her up and gently kissed her forehead.

"Will you be okay if go? I can cancel. Just say the word."

"No, I'll be fine. Go ahead," Kate yawned again.

"I promise to be back in an hour or two. If you need anything or get sick again, call me. Okay?"

He looked down at her and smiled. She was fast asleep.

**I'm so sorry it's been so long since I updated. Writer's block and in the middle of moving. Please bear with me. I'm also sorry if this is short, but I wanted to update as soon as possible. I have the next two chapters pretty much done, but I have to tweak them a little before I post them. I promise to do that ASAP. Kate will eventually get her memories back. I just want to bring them closer together first. **

**Please review! I love reading your feedback, and it makes my day. Please tell me if you're still reading. **


	18. Chapter 18

_"Will you be okay if go? I can cancel. Just say the word."_

_"No, I'll be fine. Go ahead," Kate yawned again._

_"I promise to be back in an hour or two. If you need anything or get sick again, call me. Okay?"_

_He looked down at her and smiled. She was fast asleep._

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of these amazing characters. Damn.**

Dreams. Kate wasn't having terrifying nightmares; she was having wonderful, warm dreams. Dreams of a heated undercover kiss. Dreams of shared lunches and sensual back-and-forth banter. Dreams of hot, uncontrolled sex in a storage closet...

"Kate...Kate...Hey, sleepyhead...time to wake up. It's after noon. I made you some lunch. You should really try to eat something."

Kate stirred from her sleep and reluctantly opened her eyes. She was greeted by Castle's piercing blue eyes intently staring at her. "How long have I been sleeping?"

"A little over five hours. I made lunch. I figured your stomach might be empty after this morning."

"Thanks," she shyly smiled. "I was really tired. I suppose I am a little hungry."

Castle went into the kitchen, grabbed a plate with Kate's lunch, and returned. He handed her the plate with a small sub sandwich and pasta salad. "About this morning..."

Kate abruptly pushed the plate away as soon as she caught sight of the salami that was innocently sticking out of the sub bun. She made a mad dash to the bathroom. Castle found himself in the same position as he was that morning, except this time, thank God, he was fully clothed. When the dry heaves finally stopped, he helped her up and led her back to the bed again. He gave her another glass of cold water and watched her with growing concern. She looked pale, worn out, and completely miserable.

Castle's brow furrowed. He placed his hand gently on her shoulder and softly rubbed it. "Kate, are you okay? I knew I should have cancelled that meeting."

"I'll be okay, I think. It's probably just morning sickness." She held her head down.

He lifted her chin to look into her weary eyes. "You need to keep something down."

"I...I don't think I can."

An idea popped into Castle's head, and he smiled triumphantly. "Wait a minute." He ran out of the room and returned with a popsicle. "Try this."

Kate hesitated at first, but finally took the popsicle. She slowly ate it and found that its sweet flavor and coldness did seem to settle her stomach. When she was able to keep the popsicle down, Castle seemed smug and satisfied with himself. He waited for about fifteen minutes, and then he made her a couple pieces of toast and some ginger tea. Somehow, it felt natural to have him taking care of her. She couldn't remember when she felt so loved and warm inside.

After she was able to eat a piece of toast and drink some of the tea, Castle broke the silence. "Why don't you take a shower and get dressed while I write for awhile?"

"Sounds like a plan," Kate smiled.

Since her clothes were in the guest room, she showered there. Before she went upstairs, Castle wrapped a plastic bag around her cast. When his fingers touched her skin, she felt her stomach flutter. As she showered, she mentally went over everything that happened in the last 24 hours. Even though she didn't have memories of them or the past few years of her life, she was sure of one thing: She wanted...no...needed Richard Castle. The problem seemed to be that he wanted a different Kate. He wanted the Kate that remembered him...them. No matter how hard she tried to be, she wasn't that Kate anymore. She sighed in resignation and wrapped herself in a towel. She looked at herself in the mirror. That's when she noticed it. She couldn't believe she hadn't noticed it before: A single bullet scar in the center of her chest. She shuddered as she touched it. Maybe those nightmares weren't nightmares after all.

About an hour after she went upstairs, Kate tentatively entered Castle's study and caught him intensely typing away on his laptop.

"Derrick Storm?" she smiled.

"Nikki Heat," he smirked.

"Who's Nikki Heat?"

His glanced up at her with amused eyes. "She's a hot, badass homicide detective that works for the NYPD."

Kate furrowed her eyebrows. "Tell me more."

Castle grinned smugly. "She solves murders with the assistance of her ruggedly handsome, capable partner, Jameson Rook."

She noticed that word, 'partner,' again. "So, he's a detective too?"

No, he's a journalist."

"Doesn't make sense. Why would a journalist be a homicide detective's partner?"

"Because he's helpful, and I'd like to think, insightful."

"But what if she needs back-up? What does he do? Threaten criminals with his pen?" Kate laughed.

"Hey, Rook can be quite resourceful when he needs to be," defended Castle.

"And what's in it for him?"

"The story, of course," he smugly snickered.

"So, you want me to believe that this guy, Rook, partners up with this detective, Nikki Heat, for the story. Even though there has to be a million other ways to get a decent story, he risks his life and limb for this one. Sorry, I don't buy it. There has to be more to it than that."

"And what, dear detec...uh, I mean, Kate, do you think that is?"

"I don't know, Rick. Why don't you tell me since you're obviously holding out on me." She bit her bottom lip and stared at him expectantly.

Finally, he caved. "Okay...so maybe he likes her a little bit."

"A little bit, Rick?"

He huffed indignantly. "Okay, maybe he likes her a lot."

She contemplated this for a few seconds. "Oh, I see," she smirked. "And does she like him a lot?"

"I'd like to think so." His eyes danced with mischief.

Just then, they heard a knock at the door. Kate followed him into the living room, and Castle answered it. She noticed that a pretty blonde stood at the door.

"Come in, Gina. To what do I owe this pleasure?" Castle did not act pleased.

"After you left, I noticed there were a couple of papers you forgot to sign," she smiled sweetly at Castle.

"Oh, hi Kate. I didn't realize you would be here." Gina was annoyed.

Gina coyly glanced over at Kate, and Kate sized Gina up. There was something familiar about her that Kate didn't like. She also didn't particularly care for the way Gina was flirting and smiling at Rick.

Castle interrupted Kate's thoughts. "Kate had an accident, so she's staying with us for awhile. The doctor says she has some amnesia, but her memories should return in a few days."

"How wonderfully considerate of you to be helping her, Rick. If I remember correctly, I wouldn't have expected anything less. I know you've always had a soft spot for weak women in need," she smirked.

"Kate, this is Gina, my publisher."

"And his second ex-wife," she added and smiled smugly at Kate.

"So, Alexis is your daughter?"

"Heavens no! Even though Rick and I were _quite_ passionate with each other, we never had any children," she flashed Kate a catty smile.

I guess that's your loss," Kate smirked and left the room. She was furious and couldn't stand to be in the same room with the likes of that woman for one second longer. She couldn't believe he went to a meeting with his ex-wife while she was at home in _his_ bed, pregnant with _his_ child, and puking her guts out. She angrily paced back and forth in his study.

Castle joined her five minutes later. He seemed nervous and somewhat irritated. "What was that all about?"

She glared at him. "I don't want to talk about it. I'm going to take a nap."

She started to leave the room, but he grabbed her arm and stopped her. "Your nap can wait. I want to talk about this now."

Kate jerked her arm loose. "I'm at home, sick in _your_ bed, pregnant with _your_ child, and you're meeting with _your_ ex-wife? Do you think I should be happy about that?"

"She's my publisher! Nothing more. You would understand that if you could just remember."

"I don't like her for some reason, memories or no memories. She is bossy and obviously still has feelings for you. Could she be any more obvious when she was openly flirting with you? '_Rick and I were quite passionate with each other_,' she snickered and rolled her eyes for emphasis.

"You're jealous."

"I. Am. Not. Jealous."

"You are completely jealous, Kate Beckett. If it wasn't so damned irritating, I'd find it quite adorable."

"In your dreams."

"Well, we both know how real my dreams can be." He lifted an eyebrow at her.

"Yes we do. Just as real as the cold shower you took this morning, huh?" she smirked.

Something snapped. All the pent-up desire and burning need he had been keeping bottled up surfaced, and Castle finally lost control. He walked over to her, grabbed both of her arms, forcefully pushed her up against the wall, and hungrily claimed her lips. The kiss was rough, and he ravaged her mouth, greedily taking all he could get. His hands caressed her breasts, then cupped her bottom and savagely pulled her closer into him, so close that she could feel his hardness pressing into her. When his lips finally released hers, he grabbed her face, and his dark feral eyes searched her panicked green ones. "I won't be taking cold showers forever, darling Kate. You want me as much as I want you. And when your memories return, God help me, I'll have you."

**Please review! The scar will be dealt with a bit later. In the next chapter, I thought some more jealousy might be a bit interesting, and a good way to get my frustrations out on a few more of my least favorite characters. ;) **

**Her memories will return, but I want to have a little fun with these two first.**


	19. Chapter 19

_"I won't be taking cold showers forever, darling Kate. You want me as much as I want you. And when your memories return, God help me, I'll have you."_

**Disclaimer: I'd like to dream that I own these characters, but I don't. **

Castle didn't know what came over him. It took everything in him to pull away from Kate. She indignantly stalked off to the guest room upstairs. In frustration, he went for a walk to clear his head. The need to have her was all-consuming. In his wildest dreams, he never would have imagined this. He ran over the last three months in his mind. Mistress Heat. Making love in Kate's apartment for the first time. Hot sex in the storage closet. Finding out she lied about hearing him say 'I love you' when she was shot. Distance. Acceptance. Her accident. Paralyzing fear. The baby. Lost memories. Lost Kate. Had he really lost his Kate? He wasn't sure, and it scared the hell out of him. Sure, Kate was at his loft and was in his bed last night, but was it really _his_ Kate? He wasn't so sure his Kate would have calmly just accepted the pregnancy. Did she even know she was pregnant before the accident? Also, his Kate would have fought him tooth and nail about staying with him and taking time off from the precinct. This Kate didn't even remember that she was a detective. No, the banter was still there, and God knew that the undeniable attraction was most definitely still there. Hell, it was taking all of his control to just keep his hands off her. She was feisty and persistent, but vulnerable at the same time. She was naïve, more dependent, and definitely possessed a jealous streak. She remained a challenge, and he actually thought she was even more beautiful now than he had ever seen her. Maybe it was because she was carrying their child. He honestly didn't know how much longer he would be able to restrain himself around her. She was like forbidden fruit, and he craved and hungered for her with every fiber of his being. Truth was, it didn't matter if she was his Kate or not. She was still Kate, and he was still quite helplessly in love with her.

When he finally returned, he went straight to his study and attempted to write. He figured that Kate remained upstairs, and he knew he was still a little frustrated. He decided they both could use some time alone. He ended up staring at his laptop for an hour. Finally, in defeat, he decided to order Chinese takeout. He left his study and found that the loft was oddly quiet. Alexis was spending the weekend with Paige. His mother was at a spa retreat for at least another week. He hesitated for a minute, but then he went upstairs to look for Kate. He found her curled up and asleep on the bed in the guest room with his copy of _Heatwave_. He smiled, leaned down, and tucked a stray brown curl behind her ear. He let his fingers ghost over her cheek and lost himself in her beauty. He snapped back to reality when he heard someone knocking at the door downstairs.

He gently shook Kate awake. "I ordered Chinese. I thought maybe you would like to try some. I ordered your favorites."

She sat up, stretched, and gave him a tentative look. "Thanks. Give me a minute, and I'll be down."

Castle answered the door and paid for their supper. While he was opening the cartons and putting them on the table, Kate joined him downstairs. He offered her an apologetic smile, "Dinner is served."

Kate got one whiff of the Chinese food and immediately sprinted to his bathroom for the third time that day. Castle caught up to her, just as she was flushing the commode and rinsing her mouth with water. He leaned against the doorway, brows furrowed in concern.

"Toast and tea?"

"Yeah. Thanks for the Chinese though. It was sweet," she shyly smiled, bit her lip, and blushed a little.

Castle smiled back and opened his arms to her. He gently hugged her close to him as she rested her head against his chest. They were going to be okay.

Kate managed to eat a few bites of toast and drink a little bit of tea, but she found couldn't keep it down. He did manage to get her to eat a popsicle before she fell asleep on the couch. He grabbed a blanket from the closet and gently placed it on her. He knelt down and lovingly brushed a few stray brown curls out of her eyes. He softly kissed her cheek. He was really starting to get concerned about her. If she continued this, he knew she would become dehydrated soon, which wasn't good for either her or the baby. He hated seeing her so sick. What made it worse was that he knew it was partly his fault.

As Castle was putting away the Chinese food in the refrigerator, he heard a knock at the door again. He answered it and was completely surprised and shocked to come face to face with Meredith. Before he could even protest, she was through the door. She grabbed him roughly by his face and savagely kissed him, like a starving tigress. She tightly grabbed the lapels of his shirt and forcefully pushed him into the door, slamming it shut.

Unfortunately, the noise jerked Kate awake. She jumped up quickly from where she was sleeping on the couch, just in time to see Meredith rip Castle's shirt completely off and kiss him ravenously again.

"Hey!" Kate yelled.

Castle immediately jumped away from the door and absentmindedly rubbed his lips. He looked like a deer caught in the headlights, except he was much, much more nervous.

"What the hell are you doin?" Kate's voice was condescending and had an edge to it like she was interrogating a suspect. Even though she couldn't remember being a detective, Castle thought she sure sounded like one.

"She...then she...it wasn't my fault." He paused, then uncomfortably and meekly added, "Kate...uh...Meet my first ex-wife, Meredith."

Meredith was definitely not pleased and huffed indignantly, "Rick, what is _she_ doing here? I was hoping we could try for top ten,_ kitten_." She reached out to run her finger seductively down Castle's chest. He immediately backed away and shuddered with a cold chill when he heard Kate's angry voice.

"_She_ had an accident. _She_ doesn't remember the past few years of her life. _She_ didn't just show up at Rick's door,_ uninvited_."

Meredith sneered and glared directly at Castle. "So what? She had an accident. Seems fine to me. Why isn't _she_ at her own apartment?"

Kate lost all control and her eyes shot daggers at Meredith. Her voice was cold and direct, "Because _she_ is pregnant with_ his _child."

Meredith saw red, and her fiery eyes switched their glare from Castle to Kate. "Well, well, well. I guess congratulations are in order. You finally figured out how to trap him. It was relatively easy, wasn't it, Kate? All you needed to do was saddle him with _your_ bastard child. Good job." She clapped her hands in applause. "What you fail to realize is that you're just another bimbo in a rather long line of bimbos."

Castle roughly grabbed Meredith's arm and snarled, "Enough. I mean it. You will talk to Kate with respect. She is the mother of _my_ child."

"I am too. Or did that slip your mind? I can't believe you could be so irresponsible," she snapped.

"I said enough. I won't say it again, Meredith. Don't try my patience."

"Well, I never..."

Kate interrupted her. Her hands were clenched tightly into fists at her sides. She was shaking with fury, and her pregnancy hormones were kicked into overdrive. "And you won't again if I have anything to say about it. It's been a long day. I've had morning sickness all day from being pregnant with _his_ child, which I'm sure you can sympathize with. I've butted heads with his second ex-wife, and now with his first." Kate's hand went up to her stomach. She looked pale and edgy. "I'm going to go puke my guts out for the fifth time today. When I get out of the bathroom, I expect for you to have the common decency to be gone. If not, I'll kick your bony little ass out myself."

Kate's hand went over her mouth, and she made another mad dash to the bathroom.

After Kate left the room, Meredith turned to face Castle and looked at him with pleading eyes. "Rick, are you going to let her talk to me like that?"

"You heard the lady. I'd advise you to get moving before she comes back."

After Meredith stormed out in a huff, Castle went to check on Kate. He found her with her elbow on the side of the commode. Her head was resting on it, and she looked utterly miserable.

"That's it. I'm taking you to ER."

"No. You're. Not."

"Kate, morning sickness is one thing, but you've been sick all day and have barely been able to keep anything down. You look dehydrated. You need to go to ER."

Kate hissed, "Listen to me and listen good. I didn't fight you about staying here. I've put up with both of your ex-wives today. I'm exhausted. All I want to do is sleep, and that's what I'm going to do. If you get in my way, you'll be sorry."

"I'll let it go for now, but if you get sick again, you're going to ER. I don't care if I have to carry you there kicking and screaming. Now, let's go to bed."

As Castle turned the covers down, Kate defiantly started to walk out of the bedroom. "Just where do you think you're going?"

"The last time I looked, partner doesn't mean wife. I'll be sleeping upstairs in the guest room. Isn't that where guests are supposed to stay? We wouldn't want to be_ irresponsible_, _kitten_." She angrily glared at him for a second before she furiously crossed the room. "Oh hell."

She grabbed his face in her hands and savagely claimed his lips. Castle almost fell backwards from the force of it, but she held his lips steady to hers. The kiss was rough and hot. She bit his lower lip, and even though it stung, he granted her entrance into his mouth. Her tongue ravaged his mouth, taking all and giving none. When she was done, she abruptly pulled away and glared at him again before she slammed the door on her way out.

For a moment, Castle just stood there, dumbfounded. He started to go after her, but decided it might be better to leave her alone for now.

Oh, Kate was jealous. She was definitely jealous.

**Two down, one more to go. Don't be too concerned about the morning sickness. How else would she end up making a quick trip to the ER where Josh is filling in? ;) Things are definitely going to heat up! I haven't forgot about her seeing the scar or the book signing. I plan on dealing with them soon. Thanks for reading!**

**Please review! It motivates me to update sooner.**


	20. Chapter 20

_For a moment, Castle just stood there, dumbfounded. He started to go after her, but decided it might be better to leave her alone for now._

_Oh, Kate was jealous. She was definitely jealous._

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of these wonderful characters. **

When Kate got to the guest room, she collapsed on the bed in an exhausted heap. Castle infuriated her. Who was he to say he would carry her kicking and screaming to ER? Unbeknownst to him, she hadn't got sick in his bathroom, but she had been perilously close. No, he assumed the worst and didn't even bother to ask her any different. Although she would never admit to it, it didn't help matters that she was jealous, _very_ jealous. It put her panties in a bunch that Gina was so confident that she still welded some magical power over Castle. And Meredith? How dare she corner him like a bitch in heat while Kate was in the very same room? Beside the anger and jealousy she felt, there was also undeniable lust. She saw him naked when she bumped into him after his shower that morning. She knew how taut and muscular his chest looked. She also knew how well endowed he was. She fantasized about how delicious it would be to run her hands down that sculpted chest and be possessed by those strong arms. She wanted to know how amazing it would be to feel him inside of her, to be one with him. Truth be told, she envied Gina and Meredith because they knew what it felt like to be made love to by Castle. She realized she knew at one time too, but now the memory was gone. Then, there was _Heatwave_. Something was so familiar about Nikki and Rook. It was just out of her reach. Earlier, when she read the sex scene between them, she felt herself get heated and twisted in need. Those were his words, and it was almost as if they were seducing her themselves. Even as miserable as she felt, she couldn't stop wanting him, craving him. Maybe that's what infuriated her the most. She knew she was weak where he was concerned because of how much she was helplessly in love with him.

Castle tried to go to bed. He got comfortable and closed his eyes, but sleep just wouldn't come. After tossing and turning for over an hour, he got up and decided to alleviate some of his stress by writing. After a couple of half-hearted attempts, he was finally able to access the world of Nikki Heat and complete an entire chapter. Just as he was reclining back in his desk chair and feeling pretty pleased with himself, he heard what sounded like "Oh, God" from upstairs. He immediately got up and went upstairs to check on Kate.

He found her on her knees in front of the commode. She was holding her stomach, while she was painfully having dry heaves. She was in a cold sweat and tear tracks were visible down her face.

"Oh God, I feel so bad. It hurts so much…" She interrupted herself with another dry heave. "I can't take this anymore. I just can't take this anymore." Her shoulders slumped in defeat and she started sobbing.

Castle was more than concerned now; he was really worried. He made up his mind. She was going to ER, and she was going now. He wouldn't tolerate any arguments from her. He scooped her off the bathroom floor, protectively wrapped his arms around her, and carried her to the bed. She was too weak to protest. He got out a pair of yoga pants and took off his shirt.

"Kate, don't fight me on this. Don't you dare fight me on this." He put the yoga pants on her, took off her nightshirt, and replaced it with his own shirt. After he was done, he tucked a stray brown curl behind her ear and brushed his lips gently on her forehead.

"Kate, I would take care of you myself if I could, but I can't help you. You need a doctor. I'm taking you to ER. It's non-negotiable. I won't put you or our child at risk."

"But…" Kate looked up at him with tear-filled eyes and tried to voice a small whimper of protest.

He cupped her face in his hands and tenderly wiped the tears on her cheeks away with his thumbs. "You listen to me, Katherine Beckett. You're dehydrated and in pain from being so sick. I care about you and our child too much to risk losing either one of you. Don't you dare ask me to do that. Do you hear me?"

She meekly nodded her head in agreement. She tried to stand on her own, but found she was light-headed and somewhat unsteady on her feet. As soon as Castle observed this, he scooped her up into his arms again and carried her downstairs. He put her down on the couch to rest while he grabbed another shirt for himself and his keys. With no questions asked, he carried her to his car and drove directly to ER.

When they got to ER, a doctor named Gibson treated Kate. He immediately ordered her an IV and some bloodwork. He told them that Kate was experiencing something called hyperemesis gravidum. He assured them that it should pass in a week or two. In the meantime, he planned to help alleviate her symptoms by prescribing her a safe anti-nausea med and running two bags of IV fluids through her. He encouraged her to eat small, frequent meals and drink plenty of fluids. The baby's heartbeat was strong at 160 beats per minute. She could go home as soon as her IV was done. After Castle was convinced she would be okay, Kate urged him to grab a quick cup of coffee from the cafeteria.

Just about the same time, Dr. Gibson's shift came to an end. He handed his charts off to the doctor coming on shift. Due to a bet Josh lost with another doctor, he found himself covering his buddy's shift in ER. Dr. Gibson briefed him on his patients before he left. When he came to Kate's chart, Josh felt his stomach clench. Why this ER? Why now? She was pregnant? Oh God, he thought. This was just great, just fucking great. He figured she was pregnant by that bastard writer, and that fact put his dick in a twist. He'd just pop in and out of her room quickly and be done with it. It sure didn't help how things had ended so badly between both of them.

First, she refused to let him help her after she was discharged. Instead, she isolated herself and went to her dad's cabin to heal. After refusing his calls for two weeks, he finally went to the cabin and confronted her. She told him that even though she liked him, she would never love him. Things got ugly between them, and he excused her of screwing Castle behind his back. Kate responded by hurling a glass of lemonade across the room, breaking it into hundreds of pieces against the wall. He remembered her trying to maintain control and hissing, "You son of a bitch. I never cheated on you. Get out. Get the hell out. I never want to see you again. I swear if you bother me again, you'll be sorry. Now, get the fuck out."

Oh well, the sooner he signed off on her chart, the better. With that in mind, he entered her room.

When he saw her, he wasn't prepared for the onslaught of emotion that hit him. She was still so beautiful. He had forgotten how much he cared about her. She seemed so small, so vulnerable. She looked up at him with expectant, innocent eyes.

"Kate…God, I'm sorry, but I have to cover for a friend of mine and we're short-staffed. If I could have, I would have handed your chart off to someone else. I'll just make this quick, and then we can both go our separate ways as if this never happened, okay?"

Her eyes looked at him in confusion. "I'm sorry, but do I know you?"

"Kate, c'mon, don't play games with me. You know damned well who I am."

"No…I don't. I recently had an accident, and I can't remember the past few years of my life. Do we know each other?"

"Know each other? Kate. We were involved. We were lovers. Don't you remember? Josh?" He frantically opened her chart and skimmed through it. Sure enough, she was diagnosed with temporary amnesia from a recent motorcycle accident. He tightly clenched his fist at his side. "I can't believe he would put you at risk by allowing you to drive that damn bike, knowing you were pregnant."

"If you're referring to Rick, I'm sure I had a mind of my own and made my own careless decision all by myself."

"No, Kate, you don't understand. That guy's almost got you killed more than once." He paused for a second, and then he continued, "Is he the father?"

Kate's questioning eyes became tearful and stared at him in more confusion than before. "Yes…yes…I think."

He couldn't stand to see her like this. He reached out, took her hand, and started to rub gentle circles on it with his thumb. At the same time, his other thumb wiped away a tear as it rolled down her cheek. Despite herself, Kate sensed something familiar about him.

At that exact moment, Castle stood in the doorway to Kate's room. He saw Josh standing next to Kate, caressing her hand and comforting her. A wave of fury and jealousy swept through him. How dare he take advantage of Kate, especially when she couldn't even remember him. "I don't know what the hell you're doing, but you can either take your hands off Kate now, or I swear I'll break them. Have it your way."

Kate saw the frigid blue of Castle's eyes and felt a punch of fear when she heard the savage tone in his voice.

Josh immediately let go of Kate's hand, stepped up into Castle's face, and glared angrily at him. "What have you done to her this time, Castle? Christ, she doesn't even remember me! What the hell have you done to her?" He forcefully shoved Castle.

Castle lost control, grabbed Josh by his labcoat, and drove him up against the wall. "Now you listen up, Josh. It seems to me that there's been a bit of a misunderstanding here. I've had a long night, so I'm going to be a gentleman and pretend this never happened. I would suggest you finish up Kate's chart out there, and we both go our separate ways. Do we understand each other?"

"You son of a bitch…" Josh swung his fist to hit Castle in the face, but Castle knocked it away, let go of his labcoat, and punched him in the nose. Kate yelled at Castle to stop. Josh fell to the floor, and his nose started to bleed. He shot daggers at Castle. "What? Are you afraid she'll remember just how good it was with me? How she used to beg me to touch her?"

Castle snarled and dragged Josh to his feet with one hand. He pulled his other hand back in a fist to pummel Josh again.

"Stop it, Rick. I mean it, or I swear I'll call security." His eyes caught hers and noticed the fiery determination in them. He let go of Josh, not because he was afraid of security, but because he didn't want to upset Kate any further.

Josh quickly found his footing. He glared at Castle, and then looked at Kate. "When you wake up and come to your senses, call me. Until then, I'm done. You're free to go home after the nurse takes out your IV." Without looking back, Josh stormed out of the room.

Shortly after, the nurse came in, discontinued Kate's IV, and gave her a prescription for anti-nausea medication. Kate noticed she felt noticeably better. However, during this entire time, neither Kate nor Castle said one word to each other.

In fact, they were silent all the way back to the loft.

**I know this might have been a little angsty. However, jealous passion mixed with a little bit of anger can really heat things up, bring out animal instincts, and cause a loss of control. In light of this, I promise next chapter will be HOT. By the way, it felt so satisfying to have Castle hit Josh. ;) Thanks for all the wonderful reviews! kiki hope-You're right. That would be ick. Therefore, I fixed that at the beginning of this chapter. Hope you liked. **

**Please review! Give me the inspiration to write this next chapter. **


	21. Update

Just a quick update to let everyone know that I haven't forgotten about this fanfic. I intend to update before the end of next week. Life just seems to be getting in the way. Between starting a new business and doing some traveling this summer, I've been swamped. Next week should find me more settled. I'm definitely going to finish this-and soon. Thanks so much for reading. You all are simply great!


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